Faded
by Kut3G
Summary: What if his addictions would be the cause not of his downfall but the person he loves and was forced to do hurtful things in order to save her life? "I'm trying to help you" "STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY STUFF"
1. Chapter 1

**A\N:** Thanks for the support guys and please review.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: ENOUGH**

Grunting he grabbed his jacket and forcefully pushed the swinging door back and before the loud roar of his motor cycle came to life she heard him kick stones and cans of beer on the ground and curse the words 'FUCK' repeatedly.

Watching him ride off in his bike, she placed hands on her mouth and the harsh tears fell on her cheeks and over her small hands.

Staring until she could no longer see him, she slipped to the floor and leaning against the wall, she pulled her legs to her waist and protected her hands around the beaten scars.

She leaned her head on her kneecaps and let the tired tears fall.

She could never say she had never seen him so angry because she had and each day felt worse than the last.

She didn't know for long she could do it.

Twenty-two year Gabriella Bolton didn't know for long, she could withstand her young husband's drug habits and drinking problem.

She knew where he was going; he would meet with his new Goth friend-Mike and his drug-addicted girlfriend and they would sit around in a room and smoke weed, coke or whatever new experimental drug Mike had concocted in a dodgy lab in a spare flat outside his house.

Ever since Troy met the group, he had changed completely towards her and everyone who knew and loved him. His friends and family had given up on him, even his own mother advised her to escape the relationship before it harmed her- in all kinds of ways.

However, the ring around her finger felt too heavy for her to leave on a table.

How long could she hold on though, how long could she hope he would return and her husband would hold her hands and proclaim his love to her, as he had when he asked for her heart.

Did he still have it?

* * *

It was past midnight when she stood by the window her hands separating one blind from the other to see him.

He still had not returned.

How long could she wait for him?

Hearing his bike from a distance she walked back and knew not what to do with herself, should she go to the bedroom and pretend to sleep or wait for him by the door as she had been for the past hour three hours.

Deciding to be brave, she sat on the couch, fiddled with her hands, and minutes later heard him kill the motorcycle's engine and drag his feet against the grass and his footsteps sounded on the cement of the pave way and finally on the doorsteps.

She heard him shuffling the keys and after horrifying minutes he turned the handle and the keys fell to the floor.

He staggered to bend and pick them but the bottle fell from his spare hand and spilled on the floor.

She took a breath, walked forward to pick the bottle and the keys from the floor and walked a few steps back before asking, "Where have you been?"

"Baby"

"Where have you been?" she said sternly

"Out" he said and standing he tried to balance himself against the open door but failed miserably and fell on the floor. Sighing she walked to him and holding his hand she exerted all the strength she had but his tall figure only hurt her bruised arms.

"Troy" she huffed "pull yourself up"

"Baby" he said standing pushing her back to balance himself "I missed you"

"Where were you?"

"I said out"

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Time for you to lay on your back" he said through muffled laughter

"I was worried about you"

"I bet you were" he said letting go of her hand and stumbling on the table before sitting down and closing his eyes. "I" he started, taking a long tired breath "need a hit"

She almost stopped him, she almost did, but closing her mouth, she pulled back from the thought and looked at him. He pulled a small plastic bag filled with white powder and he laid it on the table.

Watching him do these things to himself almost made her hate him.

Biting her lip angrily she sat on the couch opposite him slightly bent with her elbows on her knees covering her mouth.

How long could she wait for him?

* * *

"YOU BITCH!"

"Troy please"

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?"

"I'm trying to help you"

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?"

"I" she paused continuing with caution, "I threw it away"

She saw his mouth gape open and the grip around her arm hardened and joint with the other with as much force, she winced and tried to free herself from his hands but the bloodshot color of his eye scared her more than the pain she felt in her arms "You did what?" he whispered

"I'm trying to help you"

"You want to help me"

"Yes"

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY STUFF" he said and pushed her towards the wall, against the pictures that had recently hung, now cut her face and arms and vacated the floor.

Seeing the cuts and the blood run down her body, she never thought she would see regret in his eyes again. She saw he was at war with himself whether or not to help her and finally the man she married took over, he ran to the bathroom and she heard water running.

This is why she could never leave him. He was still there, deep deep down he was still there all it took was for her to be in much pain for him to fight the addict within and be Troy.

He rushed back and placed a wet cloth around her arm and the pain was unbearable for her.

"I'm sorry, Baby"

"Why did you do that?" she cried

"I don't know- I was so mad"

She winced as a throbbing began and the white cloth filled with blood.

"FUCK THIS!" he said and letting go of her arm he walked out, again, leaving her in a different kind of pain.

* * *

"What happened?" her friend sat next to her slowly running her fingers around the cuts above her eye and on her right cheek.

Gabriella closed her eyes wanting to get away from the security Taylor provided with her hands-knowing there was a strong possibility she would leave him for it if she felt it any second longer- and moved to the chair opposite her.

Smiling as she attempted an excuse that would brush off the worry from her face -with a shrug of the shoulders and dismissing hand she said, "You know me, I was trying to fix the basement light and the globe fell on me, stupid really"

"For the past month" Taylor said, knowingly and seeing the worried expression on her best friends face, a tear fell from Gabriella's face.

"I need you to believe it, so that I can"

"Gabi"

"Please Taylor"

They shared a look and the begging look on her best friend's eyes was enough for Taylor to dismiss her instincts- once again- and turn the other cheek.

"When are you coming back to school?" Taylor asked her knowing that the new subject would eventually- if she had anything to do about it- lead back to what Gabriella was avoiding.

"I can't right now"

"Gabriella" Taylor leaned on her knees, moving closer to the scared girl sitting in front of her "everyone is worried about you, the professors, friends, your fam-"

"Do you think this is easy for me?" her voice almost died in her throat "Do you think this is fun?"

Feeling boiled anger flow out Taylor turned cheeked at the girl "Well it must be if you're willing to live with it"

"What"

"Gabriella, how many times have I begged you to leave this place, this life, him? You don't deserve this and if you stay here you will die"

"If I leave him _he_ will die"

"He will with or without you"

Laughing bitterly Gabriella shook her head and walked to the kitchen fully knowing her adamant friend would not let it go "You don't know what you're talking about"

"No, you don't know what you're talking about, if he doesn't stop using those things will kill him"

Putting on gloves, she pulled down the hot oven and dragged the cake from the tray and laying it on the table she sighed and turned to Taylor "I'm helping him"

"Yeah" she folded her hands pursing her lips "the last time I heard that you called me in the middle of the night crying because your husband hit you"

"He's getting better"

Exasperated, Taylor unfolded her arms and closed her eyes and when she opened them, they were red.

"Sweetheart" she sighed "he won't, he's not going to get better until he wants to- you throwing away his hits or hiding his bottles is only going to make him madder and when that anger hits boiling point…" her voice trailed off to a place Gabriella had pretended she would never see in her husband.

"What about law school, what about your dreams and all the things you said you wanted to do in life?"

"I haven't given up on them"

"You have, with enough time, you'll see you have"

* * *

It was raining outside.

The rain softly splattered on the windowpane and sounded like feathers falling when it hit the ground. When she came to her senses, she turned on the bed and covered her body with the comforter.

Minutes later, she heard quiet laughter coming from the living room. Removing the security from her cold body she took a knowing breath and slipping in her slippers, she covered herself with her robe and opened the already ajar door and walked down the passageway.

Standing by the corner she saw them, Mike, his girlfriend and Troy.

Troy sat next to the girl- Alissa or Alison she could not remember and Mike sat next to the couch next to him. Troy had his arm around the girl laughing at something she had said while Mike was sniffing a line lined carefully on a CD- Coldplay, which Troy had bought for her for her Twentieth birthday.

Somehow, now it seemed a lifetime ago, when they both had dreams and aspired everything in life, until he met Mike and dropped out of College.

There were bottles and bottles of beer on the table and on the floor, small plastics thrown randomly on the brown table and smoke lingered in the air.

_How long had they been back? _She thought to herself

Mike handed the CD to Troy and he willingly pulled back his arm from her shoulder and laughed as Mike pulled his head back and enjoyed the vast ecstasy.

Opening his eyes, he saw her standing by the door. "Well lookie who decided to join us"

Sniffing a line Troy copied the same exact expression Mike had seconds earlier and closed his eyes, bending his neck and laughed when the girl kissed his neck.

Mike stood not walking towards her "Come here" he said with a smile on his face and the ring on his bottom lip stuck out hanging loose.

She shook her head

"Come here" he said again, this time slowly and sensually.

Biting her lip she willed her fear not to leave her throat "No"

He bit his lower lip and smiled, his ring hidden under his white teeth "Troy said you were a bad girl"

Walking towards her, her eyes shifted to Troy who still had his eyes closed waiting for him to help her. "Troy" she said not sure what Mike would do to her when she could no longer turn backward and the wall willing her to his hands when he touched her.

"Troy" She called as Mike sniffed her neck and moaned as his hands ran along the lapel of her robe his other holding her waist timely pushing her forward to him.

"Troy"

"Mhmm Baby, you smell so good"

"Troy"

"Touch me" he whispered his lips on her neck

Closing her eyes, she turned to Troy and he and the girl were laughing ridiculously "Troy" her throat filled.

"Touch me" he said again his request strongly growing as she felt his erection on her thigh. His hands travelled down her waist and in her inner thigh drawing circles near her.

Gathering her strength, she pushed him back and realized his arms were not as strong as Troy's are when he holds are, but they were definitely stronger than hers were.

She had no idea why her body could not scream.

"Please don't hurt me"

"I don't want to hurt you; I want you to touch me"

"Troy" she cried as her strength in her husband faded as the man in front of her pulled her towards her room.

She heard Troy's laughter as Mike locked the door.

The next morning she heard him open the door silently and clear his throat.

"Baby"

She turned the other side of the pillow so he would not see her tear stained face.

"Baby" the word sounded carefully put and when she felt the bed slightly shift; she closed her eyes and wished it over, everything.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry"

_Did he know?_

"I don't know what happened last night but…" he trailed off.

_Was this her enough? Was this her giving up on her husband? Was this it?_

Lying on that bed last night, she had never felt so dirty and worthless as she did in that moment. She could still feel every stroke and touch, every grunt and moan that left him, she could feel it, even when her own husband touched her that morning, his hand and Mike had synchronized, intertwined.

Not moving from her position on the bed, he stood and with one last sorrowful look, he turned around and left her.

Minutes later, his bike roared and faded in with time.

She never understand why he never used the car in the garage, it was safer but he always insisted that he preferred the bike, at least that's what he told her while they were still talking, when he was him and she was her herself and not some helpless wife who faced the unknown called her husband.

She knew she was angry at the wrong person but his addiction had brought her pain she had never felt before, in all her life no one had ever hurt her as much as the love of her life did.

_Was this her enough?_

Searching under the pillow she found her cell phone and dialed "Taylor", she breathed, begging her throat to voice the words "I'm done".

Taylor gave her a condition.

She said she would only pick her up if she agreed never to see Troy again.

In that, her hesitation had not been long enough for her heart to allow her to change her mind. This time she had to listen to her head, her heart would only kill her, literally.

She had packed all her clothes and shoes neatly in a bag and her textbooks were the only thing left to pack. Her mother had bought her all the books she would ever need for the year and the ones she would use in the last semester Troy had placed them on top of the bookshelf adjacent to his.

She extended her hand as far as she could but the tip of her hand only pushed the corner of the first book further back. "Dammit" she whispered as the pain in her arm refreshed.

"Here, let me help you" he moved from behind her and she moved back.

_He was back._

She had not expected him back until midnight, the only time she wanted him to retain his cruelty of leaving her alone the whole day he comes home early.

_Could she do this with him here? _She thought

"Thank you" she said holding the books in her hand.

He watched her walk by the door where three suitcases sat vacant and filled the third with the rest of her textbooks.

She hoped the school would take her back; she thought as she zipped her suitcase and stood it upright next to the others.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked melancholically, she was not sure.

"I'm going to live with Taylor"

"For how long?"

"Forever"

"Will I be able to see you?"

"No"

"Why not"

"Because I don't want you to"

"It's really it this time, isn't it?"

"Yes"

Hiding his eyes from her he gathered his emotions and pointed to what she was wearing. "There's a storm coming tonight"

Looking down she folded her hands and prayed to God the clock would go by faster "Yeah, so?"

"You should pack all your warm clothes"

She thanked God that she didn't weaken right there "I did"

"I went to the store today and-"

"Troy you can't fix this with gifts"

"I bought you a fitable band for my watch; I know how you like it"

He searched through his back pockets and lifting his hand the white packet fell to the floor.

Even the bag was something she didn't want to see, it brought back her anger and reminded her why she was doing this on the first place "I see you haven't used today" she said, growing stronger

"Sorry" he mumbled picking the packet, "it's Mike's"

"I bet" She willed herself not to dwell on the name. "Is he coming here?"

"He is, later today"

"And the girl, Alyssa"

"Alison"

"Whatever" pursing her lips she asked, "do you like her?"

"Of course not, I'm in love with you"

She could not remember the last she had heard those words come from his mouth when sober.

_Why was he being nice today? _She thought

"Whatever Troy"

Just when she thought the moment until Taylor came for her would be painless he let out a breath and let out words in it "Baby please don't go"

"You don't need me in your life"

"Of course I need you"

"No,_ I_ needed you last night"

"What are you talking about?"

Oh, to hell with it "When your friend was on top of and I screaming my lungs out, that's when I needed you"

"What"

His pained look turned to fury and the line above his brows dug deep and his eyes dark "He touched you?"

"Troy"

He fist his hands and his breathing unleavened "He touched you?"

"Troy"

"When"

"Troy, calm down "

"FOR FUCKS SAKES WHEN!"

"Yesterday" she whispered regretting her outburst "Where are you going?"

"TO KILL THAT MOTHERFUCKER!" he stormed out

* * *

"You made the right decision" Taylor kept telling her throughout the ride to her house and every time she said it, it only dug deeper in her broken heart.

"Taylor, I love him"

"Aww, honey" she embraced the girl and Gabriella cried more as she felt the soft fabric touch her cheek softly and all the emotions she bottled over the months felt too overwhelming.

"It's going to be okay," she cooed

"Is it supposed to hurt this much?"

"I don't know why we hurt sometimes but…" she let go of the shaking girl's arms and lifted her head when she looked down at her hands

"…We have to believe when we do eventually find happiness again, the hardships would have been worth it and we'll want to hold on to it longer because we'll know what it's like to live without it"

"What if this was my happiness?"

"Well then" Taylor smiled through her tears "when you feel it again it will be much greater"

_Could she ever find happiness without him?_

"Would you like some more tea?"

Gabriella registered the question, knew the answer but could not fathom why she could not voice it.

"Bed" Taylor asked and the only thing she could do was nod "Okay"

It was past twelve fifteen, past midnight and she had not slept since Taylor covered her with an extra blanket.

Taylor understood her, she knew her like no one else could, but he was a part of her, like one of her arms or legs and to live without was hard and difficult.

'But no impossible' her mother would say. However, to live without him was something she had never willed herself to think and now that she was living the unthinkable, she could not imagine how long she could withstand it.

He brought her pain, yes; either by him or the people around him but the pain of his absence was far greater.

Sighing, she thought about listening to Taylor, sleeping away the sad feelings, after all 'time fixes everything'.

"What the hell!" she stood changed into jeans and a cardigan over her blue top and creped out of the house, she thanked God Taylor was a deep sleeper.

The cabdriver parked by the front yard and the music flared on as he stopped the car.

Paying him, she thought about asking him to wait- she had no idea what she would see but ultimately decided to send the old man home.

Walking up the lone steps, she held on the small ounce of guts she had and knocked on the door. That must have been the first time she ever knocked on her own door.

Hearing nothing, she surprisingly found the door unlocked when she turned the handle and walked in.

The house was a mess.

There was glass everywhere, lamps smashed on the floor, couches ripped apart, the television had a huge hole in the middle and the photo of them lay oddly on the table, unscratched and not cut whatsoever.

Should she have found it strange then?

Walking on the glass she looked around the living room and the house was quiet.

Had there been a robbery or did he come home drunk and angry.

The biggest thought that dominated her mind was; did she miss the peak of his addiction problem, did she dodge a crash?

Did she save her life by leaving him today?

"Troy" she called and once his name echoed in the house she heard breathing behind her accompanied with deathly quiet words.

"I'm sorry Baby" he said and she felt the point stick harshly to her waist before she fell to the floor.

_Troy?_

Then everything turned black.

Her eyes felt heavy.

Too heavy for her to comprehend what was going on but she could hear muffled voices.

She could not tell whether the voices where coming from a distance or practically whispering in her ear but frankly, she wasn't sure whether she was dreaming or awake.

_Could people smell in dreams? _She thought.

"You have to do it"

"I can't"

"Yes you can"

"I can't do it Ali"

"You've done it to me plenty of times, just imagine it's me"

"I love her"

"That won't matter if you don't do it Troy"

_Troy, he's here. What is going on? _ Thoughts ran through her mind

"Forgive me" he said then she felt a sharp sting in her arm and seconds later, the dark consumed her world once again not before a last thought crossed her mind; he never gave her the watchband he bought.

* * *

So, what did you think, an update?

If y'all want more please tell me and I will upload the second Chapter: Choices tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and remember to review :)


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO: CHOICES**

_He could remember the day clearly; it had been a November night and was the first time she ever caught him using._

_They had a study session when he had excused himself to go to the bathroom. He had felt bad about leaving his new wife to take a hit, but by then he could not hold the urge, he had to do it, he was not addicted though, Mike had promised he wasn't._

_Closing the door, he sat on the toilet seat, pulled a CD and the packet from his front jacket. He placed the CD on his knees and hurriedly opened the white packet and spilled the contents on the back cover, just in case._

_He ordered the powder in lines and taking a breath, he bent and breathed down the ecstasy._

_People would never get it if they found out; people would never get it unless they tried it._

_He often wondered whether he should ask her to try it, would she agree._

_No, what was he thinking? _

_He no longer saw it as a drug- he saw as an escape from the real world, a door to a world no one else could see but him, an escape that felt good, he laughed at the thought._

_Taking a second line he felt his insides go crazy, almost as if his body was turned inside and out repeatedly. He felt the adrenalin rush down his throat and up again to his head._

"_What are you doing?"_

_Looking up he saw her holding on to the doorknob with a frightened expression on her face. Dammit, why had he not heard her walk down the stairs? He usually heard her footsteps ahead of time._

_Think fast, he willed himself to say something, "Medication" he blurted out._

"_Medication?"_

"_Yes, Mike's Dad is a pharmacist, he gave them to me"_

"_Why?"_

"_For the headaches I've been having"_

"_Why are they like that, like powdery?"_

"_Ah," think fast "It's actually a new drug that just came from manufacturing and Mike's Dad was going to synthesize it into a pill-form but-" he raised his hands laughing lightly, "you know me, I heard about it and I wanted to try it" _

_Did she believe it?_

_She didn't say anything for a while- she just stood there, looking at him, unsurely, untrusting, he did not recognize the look, and she had never looked at him like that before. "Is it safe?"_

_Taking a breath he felt the world come back "Yes, I mean Mike's Dad is like a genius so…"_

"_Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_I didn't want you to worry, I mean exams are coming up and you need to focus"_

_She let go of the handle and walked back. Why did she do that?_

"_So do you, we're supposed to be studying now anyway Troy"_

"_I know, I'll be right there"_

_She still had that untrusting look on her face-it made him nervous._

"_Okay" she whispered, he saw her look down at the CD and back up at his eyes. Was it fear or mistrust? He understood the mistrust part but why would she fear him? Or was it all in his head?_

_When she closed the door, he cursed and poured the powder back in the plastic and tied it before putting it back in his pocket and fixing himself in the mirror._

_Did he look normal?_

_The look on her face still bothered him, even when he put his arms around her in bed that night._

_What kind of person did she see?  
_

* * *

He could hear the roaring of the thunder hit the roof of the house wildly and hoped the warmth of his jacket would provide as much heat as she would need.

It had been five hours since Mike locked them in the safe house.

It was ironic, he thought, how the one place intended for shelter and safety was now a torturing site.

_Torture_, yes he knew that was what Mike was planning on doing.

Troy had seen him do it thousands of times to people who could not or did not pay him on time.

He kept them there for days on end to teach them and the others a 'lesson', Mike would call it.

What Troy did not know was whom he was planning to torture this time.

The room was dark and the only source of light was the flickering light bulb that swung back and forth, threatening to give any moment.

He could hear rats scratching and cockroaches crawling- an inhumane place for a person to live, which was exactly why Mike loved using it.

He knew rats and mice would not scare a person to oblivion but hearing those noises in the dark usually made a person paranoid and a major contribution to insanity.

He helped him once and that had caused Troy days of nightmares and sleepless nights.

He knew Mike was planning something- he had briefed him of the plan when Troy had helped him that first time.

Could he do it to her though, hurt the love of his love? No, he shook his head and letting go of her cold hand he paced to the corner of the room and folded himself.

Could he do it?

"Don't over think this Troy" Alison sat next to him by the corner; she had free access to come and go as she pleased- free access that would get her killed if she used it freely.

"I can't do it Ali"

"You don't even know what he's planning"

"I know it can't be good"

Sighing seeing her friend confused and torn she took his hand and said, "Every time you have to give her a hit, imagine that it's me and, you'll be fine"

"Why is she still asleep?"

"It's the drug- her body is reacting and trying to shake it off, it'll be a couple of days before she wakes"

"But why do I have to give her a shot?"

"I don't know, I think its part of Mike's plan" she guessed

"She'll hate me for doing this to her"

"Troy" Alison took hold of his arm and made him turn to her "she'll be too out of it to care what you did to her, let her focus on the pain; she'll never guess that it was her husband who gave her the shot"

"Yeah" he murmured trying to share the same enthusiasm Alison had but seeing the girl who had promised he would spend the rest of his loving and protecting he could not find the humor in what she said.

Honestly, it would have been better for his guilt if Mike did it himself, how could he promise to protect and cause her pain at the same time?

"YOU HAVENT DONE IT YET?" he yelled at the man who sat in the corner with his head buried in his bend knees.

"Why can't you do it?" Alison asked her boyfriend

"I told him to do it" he pointed and pushed her out of the way when she blocked him from his view of the man who she called a 'friend'.

"For fucks sakes Mike it's his damn wife, how do you expect him to poison her"

"I don't care how he does it; I just want him to do it"

"Why"

"BECAUSE I SAID SO ALISON, DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"

Bending her head like a punished dog she looked down, and whispered "No"

"Good, now tell your friend I want him to do it before three o'clock tonight or else he won't have to worry about doing it all because she'll be dead"

Mike banged the door behind him and the light above them swung harshly back and forth, holding on to the last bit of strength it had.

Once she was sure his footsteps could not be heard Alison ran to Troy and shook him out of the trance he was in, she now getting frustrated at the man. "Troy, Troy, come one, Troy"

"I can't do it" he said through his bloodshot eyes "I'm not doing it"

"Troy you don't understand, if you don't do it, he will _kill_ her, you know he's done it before, just because you guys used to be friends does not mean Mike will grow a conscious"

Turning to her, his tired eyes littled as his mouth quivered and he slowly shook his head, beckoning his love for the girl as if Alison did not understand "I can't do it"

Alison's throat grew thick at the sight of the young man but she knew she had to grow a second head and convince him whatever he felt now would be pointless if she died. "Troy" she started

"No" he said knowing her tone "No"

"Troy, listen to me, I know you love her"

"I love her Ali" he turned to the girl who lay cold on the floor.

"I know" pulling his head away from the sight she tried to refocus him away from his emotions and instead with realistic thinking.

"I know how you feel for her, I know this is hard for you but you have to listen to me"

He didn't know if it was her calm tone or the way her voice thickened as she tried to sound confident in what she was saying but he felt the bulge in his own throat solidify and weaken as he could finally register what she was saying.

"Sometimes, in order for us to be able to protect the people we love we have to kill a part of them in order to ensure that he or she will still be with us tomorrow, it's selfish but, true"

"She's anti-drugs, she'll hate me"

"That's better than no emotion"

"You really think I should do this?"

"Yes, I do"

When Mike ordered Alison to leave him alone in the room Troy had gathered everything he had to stand up from where he was, sit, and hold her hand.

Her hands were cold, icy cold and her body was shaking and shivering.

It was probably because of the drugs he injected her at the house, he did it once, why couldn't he do it again- probably because after his second hit he had wanted more and from there on out he never returned.

"I'm sorry, Baby" he sobbed as he lifted her hand and the tears fell. "I'm so sorry"

He now realized that he had to do, he didn't want to, but if it meant getting her addicted would save her life, he had to, no matter what. He would tell her he was in an impossible situation when she woke, question was- would she forgive him.

* * *

"_How many times have you promised me that, Troy?"_

"_No, I mean it this time, I'll stop, I promise"_

_She pulled her hand from his and picked her bags from the floor "No I've had it Troy"_

_Running ahead, he stood in front of the door blocking it "I'm not going to let you go"_

"_It's not up to you"_

"_I'm not going to let you walk out this door Gabriella"_

"_Troy please, Taylor's waiting for me in the car"_

"_I don't care"_

"_I'll call the police" she threatened bolding her nerves not to fail her now "I will"_

"_Baby, I mean it this time, I'll stop, I'll go to rehab"_

"_You will?"_

"_YES I PROMISE" he moved from the door and held her hands "I'll do anything to make you stay"_

"_Okay"_

"_Okay" he asked not believing._

"_Okay' she said again, not sure in her own words _

_He let out a breath, sighed, and smiled at her. She half smiled and dropped her bags on the floor._

Looking back now, he wonders if he should've just let her go and be with people who could not hurt her.

Now he wonders, was that day the end of him or her?

The door burst open and Mike stormed in with Alison rushing by his side.

"Come on man its three o'clock" he said, unsure himself in what he was doing.

"I tried to give you more time" Alison added

Still holding on to her hand Troy looked down and said, "I'll do it"

Clapping his hands he bend to Troy's level and shook his shoulders, "I knew you still had that spunk in you"

"But first, I need a hit"

"Ha-ha! Some things never change," he said digging through his pockets.

He could feel the power rush down his throat to his head.

There came a point in the process when he felt like he could not take the adrenalin but it felt too good to stop.

Mike sat next to him, both in chairs, with a table between the two while Alison sat on the floor holding Gabriella's hand.

Had she grown a conscious now?

"This is so good, man" Troy said

"I have a lot more where it came from, just think man; if we get her into it" he pointed at Gabriella "we could be a team, a unit"

"You think"

"I know, we could be like the Fantastic Four, like with powers and shit"

"Awesome"

When they high fived Alison turned to the two and saw the look Mike gave Troy when he was not looking. She knew Mike had found his door. She knew he would use his weakness; Troy's addiction against him, he would get him to harm her physically when he was high.

Alison knew the plan but she swore to Mike and his gun that she would not tell Troy.

Seeing her friend laugh about something she knew he would soberly loathe and hate almost broke her heart.

Almost, she was not going to grow a heart now, not after all she has helped Mike with, she could not feel guilty now.

"Mhmm" Gabriella moaned in her sleep and Alison held her hand to keep her shivers in place.

"I think it's time"

"I think it is" Troy laughed.

Standing, Mike hit his shoulder and Troy faked a pained look. They stood next to her and Mike gave him the needle. Troy smiled, sat down and held her hand.

Alison could have sworn she saw a real look on his face, but the drugs quickly took over and he forgot.

In that moment, seeing Troy inject her with the needle, Mike knew he had found his window.

He would get Troy to kill her, slowly; all he had to do was get him high.

It was the perfect plan.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE: AWAKE**

_When she agreed to marry him, she had defied everyone she knew._

_They were so young, and too in love, that was what everyone kept saying._

_There was a certain point that real love lied, anything past that was simply magical, not true._

_Troy remembered the talk he had with his father minutes before the wedding and the look he bore when he looked at his son._

_Troy was fixing his tie in the mirror when his father stood next to him, arms folded with his eyes distant and fixated._

"_This is your last chance son" he whispered, his voice knowing his words were not what a nervous young man wanted to hear before his wedding._

"_You can leave, right now"_

_Troy stared at his father through the mirror for a long time, lost at words at how to respond to something that had lingered in his own mind._

"_What about her?" he found himself asking _

"_She will forgive you, eventually"_

"_For leaving her at the alter?"_

"_Yes, this is your future Troy, this moment; you have to be one hundred percent sure that marrying this girl is what you really want"_

_Turning to face his father the excitement Troy had been hearing outside the room the whole morning now served as thorns in his sides. Could he do it?_

"_What if-", he breathed looking down at his twisting hands, "What if I'm two percent unsure?"_

"_Run"_

_Troy's father was waiting for him in the car outside the church._

_All he had to do was decide whether he wanted to wait ss. His father made it sound simple and easy, if he left her she would forgive him and move on, trying to convince Troy that calling off the wedding was probably going to save them a lot of pain in the end. _

_If it was so easy, why was it hard for him to walk away?_

_He did not know what to do, should he leave her, was he saving them both pain by calling it off?_

_Was it possible to be too in love with someone?_

_Did love have a line?_

"_Oh my God" he hyperventilated and tossing his tie on the floor-he paced back and forth the small room, trying to weigh in all possible options._

_Could he hurt her like that?_

_Soon Chad and the pastor would walk in and tell him it was time._

_He had to make a decision, fast._

_Turning towards the door, he heard loud urgent footsteps walk down the passageway and with the door ajar, he saw Taylor pass by holding a glass of water in her hand._

_Following her across the rooms, he stopped when he saw Taylor give Gabriella the glass and she shrugged it aside as her Mother fanned her._

_She sat on the chair sweat running down her face._

"_Gabriella, it's going to be all right," her Mother cooed bending on the chair_

"_I'm so scared"_

"_It's okay to be scared"_

"_What if he leaves me?"_

"_He won't leave you," Taylor said dismissively holding the girls hand in hers "he loves you too much remember?"_

_Listening in he heard her nervous laughter fill the large room._

_How on Earth could he leave her?_

_He turned around to his own room and from that day on; he had never told her that he almost walked out._

* * *

**DAYS AFTER ABDUCTION**

What he could not understand now was; if he loved her so much why could he not stop Mike from doing what he was doing?

It was past two A.M and Troy sat in Mike's room watching what he was doing to her from his TV camera.

He saw him touch her, gently run his fingers through her hair and down her body.

He could not hear what he said but when she eventually opened her eyes and jump up when she realized he was beside her, the look on her face told him it must have been frightening to scare her so much.

He wanted to stop him but the powder in his hands willed him otherwise.

Mike threatened to take the cocaine away, permanently if he did anything and if he tried to save her in whatsoever he would kill her, so, in his sick and twisted way Mike made him sit and watch.

This was the second night he had to watch him do it.

"How long is he going to do this?" he closed his eyes when Mike unbuttoned her shirt forcefully.

"As long as he wants I guess" Alison sat in the chair next to Troy watching with the same remorse horror to see her boyfriend touch someone else not being able to say anything.

He pushed her to the floor and sat up on top of her "Please switch it off" Troy begged

"Mike told me to make sure you watch it Troy"

"I'm not sure I can do this Ali"

"Just take a hit and you'll forget everything you're feeling right now"

Mike pulled her pants, undid her belt and pulled her pants down "I can't" he angrily stood from the chair and pulled the door.

She held his hand "Troy"

"This is sick"

"Do you want more supplies?"

"Yes"

"Then shut up and take a hit, you'll forget everything I promise"

* * *

Since she had been in and out of conscious, she had no idea where she was or how long it had been.

Her hands were shaking and her body was cold.

He left her on the floor when he was done.

Opening her eyes, she felt something crawl up her leg. She tried to shake her leg but she was too tired to move.

_Troy_

Was he there, realizing she did not even know where 'there' was she finally took note of her surroundings. The room was not big- not small either and the lamp above her swung back and forth, the floor was dirty and she could smell something weird in the air.

Wait, she knew that smell, was Troy there? Where was she?

"Hello" she whispered half heartedly not wanting to know what would answer back.

Was she dreaming? Did people feel pain in dreams?

"Is someone there?"

Moving aside, the crawling sensation left her leg and could be heard scurrying away for a place to hide.

At least she was not the only one who was scared.

Finally she stood- ignoring the stinging from her arms and legs- and slowly limped to the door.

The door had no handle and no locks. Her breathing increased when she realized she was trapped in completely.

Where was Troy?

"Okay" she breathed, calming herself down "think Gabriella, think, what is the last thing you remember, I sneaked out of Taylor's apartment, I took a cab to the house, it was a mess and- what happened, Oh God what happened?"

She had no idea how long it had been but when she sat leaning against the wall all she wanted was to go home.

She did not belong there, whatever awful thing she was being punished for she did not deserve that kind of treatment-no human deserved that kind of treatment.

Twisting her hair frantically she tried to rationalize her fears. She knew Troy, wherever he was, would save her.

That thought was the only thing that kept her sane.

Her insides hurt, her throat was still dry and the body still had that stinging.

"Please God" she prayed, almost not believing "Whatever wrong I've done- I'm sorry, I'm sorry"

"Sorry for what" he said

She looked up and he stood there- Troy's friend, Mike, folding his arms with a smug look on his face standing by the door with Troy shortly behind him.

"You haven't done anything, yet"

"Please don't hurt me again"

He was here, he came to rescue her from the strange place, she stood and rushed to him but Mike blocked her with his extended arm "Troy" she yelled

"He can't help you"

"Troy" she called, not believing the curve in his lips that formed when Mike turned towards him laughing.

"Actually, he doesn't want to help you"

Gabriella let her arms fall to her sides when she saw the look the two shared "I don't understand"

"Well darling, let me explain it to you" he let go of the door and walked closer to her. She walked back.

"You see, Troy is a different person now, he's changed, but don't worry, he's changed for the good- so to speak" he smiled

"Troy" she moved her eyes to her husband who still stood by the door, not moving, shouldn't he be fighting Mike by now? She wondered, not understand when he crossed his arms the way Mike did earlier.

She didn't know the man who looked at her, his eyes were dark and vacant, and she recognized the look.

"He's high isn't he?" she said a sob falling out of her as realization hit her.

"No, he's real, you see the man that you thought you knew was a fake, and this Troy" Mike pointed at him "is the man you married".

Gabriella put her hand on her mouth as she tried to keep her panic from running away from her.

"Aww" Mike extended his arms in an embrace and moved to her, she moved back and eventually hit the wall and he touched her face. "You should be thanking me, I'm helping you sweetheart, you've been living a dream"

He caressed her face and ran his other hand around her waist bringing her closer to him.

"Please, no" she begged trying to distance herself from him "not again"

"But we had so much fun last time"

"Troy, help me" she whispered and Mike's hands ran inside her shirt, caressing her shoulders and the top of her breast.

"At least I did" horror became her when she felt his lingering low breath run down her spine and into her most intimate parts, again.

His hands knew her in intimately, in a way only Troy had known; now he stood in the background watching someone else touch her while he watched.

He unbuttoned one of the buttons and she nearly screamed with gratitude when Alison ran in with a phone in her hand.

"Mike"

"WHAT" he said aggravated that she would choose that moment to interrupt.

"It's your Dad; he wants to talk to you, now"

"Why" he turned to the girl and she shrugged "I don't know"

"Dammit" Mike licked his lips and turning to Gabriella, he kissed her harshly on the lips and bent his head to her ear and whispered, "That's for later"

When he let go of her embrace she shuddered and let of the breath she was holding, she saw Mike storm passed Alison then to Troy and out the door.

_Your welcome_, Alison mouthed at her before running to her boyfriend with the phone still in her hands knowing when Mike stopped at the living room he didn't want to wait for her.

Gabriella's eyes turned to Troy's as his never left hers and with one last look, he closed and locked the door.

She was so confused, why wouldn't he help her, if Alison had not ran through the door would he have stopped Mike or just stood there and watched.

Well, it would not be the first time he had let her down when it came to needing him.

Could Mike been possibly right, could the man she married simply an alias to who really was, a monster.

"No" she shook her head, not believing her own thoughts.

His eyes were so frightening.

What was going on?

* * *

"You need another shot"

"What"

Hearing the girl's voice she opened her eyes and found her arms tight around her waist, when had she dozed off?

"The shaking, the only way to stop it is taking another shot"

"I need don't need a shot I need a doctor"

"Well Baby girl you're not getting one, if you don't take a shot you'll die" the blonde haired girl stood a fair distance from her, her front leg in front of the other with both arms on other sides of her waist.

Gabriella had to admit, she was beautiful, much more attractive than she was.

No wonder Troy was attracted to her, what man wouldn't?

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing"

"You better be looking at nothing"

Gabriella looked at the girl seeing her pursed lips and glossy lips, "I'm not afraid of you"

"Don't mess with me sweetheart, Mike has no intention of keeping you alive, I'm the only chance you have of staying alive so don't fuck with me"

"Is he going to kill me?"

"Don't ask me" the girl looked away, her face uncaring and disinterested

"Well who can I? I don't who my husband is anymore"

"Oh go jabber to someone else about your 'misery'"

Gabriella sat up on the floor and leaned against the wall with her head on her knees "Did you sleep with him?"

Laughing and shocked Alison turned to the girl and said, "Ah, well Mike isn't the only one who's fucked up here, you're facing death and all you can think about is whether I slept with your husband?"

"I don't know what to think"

"Just take the damn shot when Troy gives it to you okay"

She looked up with her tears and said "Wait, Troy's giving me the shot?"

"Yes, he's done it before" she said, matter-of-factly.

"'Before', how many times has he done it?"

"Twice"

"'Twice', do you know how addictive that stuff is, how dangerous they are to the neurotransmitters?"

"I don't give a fuck what it does and so should you, or else-"her long hands fitted to her sides as she looked down "you'll drive yourself crazy"

Gabriella came to the realization that the woman had had it before, her voice sounded real and honest "You've had it"

"Once"

"Did it feel like this?"

"Ten times worse"

"Why"

"He mixed it with his Dad's drugs"

"I'm sorry"

Alison looked at the girl confused "Why would you be sorry?"

"I know what it feels like to be forced into something"

"He's not a bad guy you know, Mike, he's really not, just give him what he wants and he won't feel like he has to force you"

"I don't want to" she cried, "I don't know why Troy won't tell him that"

"He loves you you know"

"I don't think so"

"Well he does" Allison said, wiping the little specks of tears that lied in the corner of her eyes, she could not form a bond with the girl, she was the subject, and subjects should never feel a bond towards their kidnappers, never, at least that was Mike had told her.

However, as a girl herself, Alison missed the girl talks, sharing things, going out and having a good time. No, she loved Mike; he was her life now, so she tried to find the right posture to outweigh her position as superior.

"Is he dead?"

"Who" Alison asked, faking disinterest.

"Troy, is he dead?"

Not understanding she said "No"

"No, I mean, is he dead to me?"

Looking the girl square in the eye Alison felt sympathy for her; she sat on the floor with her clothes torn and dirty and her eyes small and scared.

"Yes"  
With that, Alison could not have walked fast enough out of that room.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR: REGRETS  
**

She wondered if it would have been better if she had never met him.

Sitting by the corner of the dark room she smiled when she remembered the first time she met him. She was young and driven, he was sporty and attractive, and the fact he chose her over hundreds of girls that fawned over him on a day-to-day basis she felt lucky that the star basketball player wanted her- simple shy girl- as his girlfriend.

Hearing the squeak and noise of the light lighten the room faintly she closed her eyes and wished their hearts had never crossed paths.

He had brought her nothing but pain since their early dating years but as the years passed, he grew more into a man she could rely and depend on, a man she could trust and love.

He was dead.

The man who sat in the middle of the room playing poker with Mike was someone who killed the love of her life.

He was someone who disgusted her; she hated him with everything she had.

Troy laughed ridiculously at Mike as he pulled all his chips to his side.

She hated herself for falling in love with him.

No matter how much she hated him she could not un-love him, it was not as easy for her as it was for him.

The door opened and Alison walked in holding a towel "Come on"

"Where am I going?"

"Five minute shower"

"I can leave this room"

"You're coming back" Alison stated, matter-of-factly stealing a look at Mike as he puffed in a smoke and through his teeth said "No funny business" he didn't see the look exchanged between the two woman.

What was the look, Gabriella wondered walking out of the room.

Her body was still shaking, _'you need another shot' _she recalled Alison's words, she wondered if they would give it to her.

She was tired of constantly feeling cold.

Troy did not even look back when she walked out of the room.

Alison blindfolded her so that she would not see where everything was in case she ever wanted to run, Gabriella presumed.

_Running._

She had not even thought of it, could she run, where would she go, what about Troy?

_DAMMIT, he has forgotten about you, she thought._ They walked a long distance until they had to turn a corner and in the background she heard someone talking, was it the TV?

They walked in a light room- the light went through the blindfold and to her hopes. It was day.

She felt a gush of air rush in front of her, it was windy.

Oh, how she missed those things, air, wind, sunny days, rainy days, would she ever see them again?

She wanted to go home. She missed her Mother, her friends, Taylor. She hoped Taylor had called someone, informed the police.

Alison helped her take her clothes off, her body too sore and tired to do it on her own. She heard Alison close the tap and tap her forward before hearing her pull the shower curtains.

She took off the blindfold.

"Five minutes, Gabriella, I mean it"

"Okay, but ahm…"

"What" she let go of the curtain, irritated

"Please close the door it's a little cold"

"Don't do anything stupid"

"I won't," she said quickly

Alison's eyes warned and Gabriella returned the stare with reassurance, hoping her smile would convince her. Alison nodded and Gabriella smiled inwardly and watched her push the curtains sideways and listening until she heard her close the door.

She was alone.

She pushed back the curtains and looked around the bright room trying to find a way out.

She knew Alison was probably counting the time outside by the door or somewhere nearby so Gabriella had to find a way out within the bathroom.

Contradictory, the bathroom was clean- except for the scraped paint and the missing tiles the room was spotless. She looked on the window and saw a long meadow, _where was she?_

"Dammit" she let go of the window and looking around once more- knowing her time was running out- she saw the crack in the mirror.

"Okay" she weighed her options; she could cut herself and be hurt or she could cut herself and they would have to take her to a hospital.

She would run at the hospital, she had to do it and this was her opportunity.

She pulled a small crack and bits of glass fell on the floor, she stood still and relaxed when the door did not open.

She walked to the bathtub, pulled the curtains and climbed in. The water felt warm and stinging in her wounds. They were getting better, she realized.

She quickly scrubbed the dirt from her body with the sponge on the side and around on most of the open cuts.

When she was done, she held the glass in her hands, she had to do it, she realized, and positioning the glass on her wrist, she pressed down.

"Mhmm" she moaned in pain and once blood oozed from the first cut, she drew a slow excruciating throbbing line. "Ahh"

She let go and the blood ran down her hands and filled the water. She cried as she drew the second line, she wanted to give up, she did, but she had to make it difficult for them.

Would he care, would Troy care?

"Oh God, please help me" she cried and as she started on the third she saw the curtains pull back.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Alison stood with her mouth hang open "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE" Gabriella drew a quick swift line and blood spurted out.

"Oh my- MIKE!" She bend and tried to grab the glass but Gabriella threatened her with it. "MIKE!"

Mike and Troy stood behind her holding the same exact expression Alison had. "DAMMIT "ALISON I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE HER"

"It was only five minutes"

Just when he was about to grab the glass Mike came to a thought, he stood straight and put a hand on his lips in thought.

"Mike, stop her," Alison yelled

"You know what, if she wants to kill herself let her, I don't care"

"Mike" Alison turned to Troy waiting for him to say something but he walked back towards the room with a blank expression, his eyes never leaving Gabriella's, Mike followed her eyes and he came to a thought.

"Troy, come here" he ordered his eyes watching the weak girl

Troy walked forward, scared, not knowing what Mike wanted him to do "What"

"Help her," he said

"With what"

"Help her finish the job"

"Mike" Alison shook her head running to her boyfriend "Please don't do this"

"Troy, I told you to help her," he said not hearing his girlfriend's pleas

"Mike" he pleaded as well, his voice tired and shaken.

"OR DO YOU WANT ME TO DO IT?" he yelled growing irritated hearing Alison crying beside him "You-"he pushed her from him "shut the fuck up, I'll deal with you later, TROY!"

Troy walked forward, breathing hard, and bend towards Gabriella. Her eyes were so weak; the blood kept spurting out now filling the thick red bathtub.

He had never felt so scared in his life.

"I'm so sorry Baby," he said and took the glass from her hands and took her other arm and pointed a corner of the glass on her flesh.

"Harder" Mike yelled

Troy turned to him with a pleading expression and he looked at him with a nonchalant face.

He looked back at her: she was so weak, her body was almost part of the water, her eyes were grey and small.

She could never be with him.

Pushing the glass down more he knew she could never be with him. He could never be with her.

He loved her so much, why could he not stop Mike "Harder" Mike echoed now in his head as her eyes closed and she slipped in the water.

"TROY STOP" Alison pushed Mike aside and in the back of her mind she knew she would pay for it- cruelly, as she always did- but seeing the girl slip out of life she could not sit there and watch, she could not believe Troy actually did.

In whatever state she always thought his love for her was more powerful than the drugs, or the alcohol, and at that moment pushing him aside and throwing the glass away, she did not know.

* * *

Did the drugs really have that much control over him; he and she shared the same thought as Alison pulled Gabriella out of the water?

He watched from a distance as Alison listened to the Doctor whilst he finished bandaging her wrists.

Mike refused they take her to the hospital, he said it was too risky and instead a house Doctor be called in.

They cleaned a bedroom and moved her to it. Cleaning her wounds before having a Doctor come in and check on her.

"She will be okay, but she needs to go to the hospital as soon as possible" he removed the stethoscope from her chest

Alison exhaled a breath "Thank you Doctor, thank you so much"

"How on Earth did she lose so much blood?" he asked closing his bag

"Ahm…"

"She's an adrenalin junkie Doc," Mike answered walking in passed Troy "we tried to stop her but" he lifted his hands, laughing, "You know how these danger seeking teenagers are"

"How is she related to you all?" he asked looking at the three

"She's my step-sister"

"Are you sure, because she looks awfully familiar?" he said focusing his eyes through his glasses trying to recognize her face. Mike walked to him and turned the man around towards the door "You know you've probably seen her at the ER once or twice, she's always seeking for the next best thing"

"You're probably right, you know I have a daughter who's just like that, always putting herself in danger. I'm always telling her to be…" his voice faded from the room as Mike walked him out in casual conversation.

Alison turned to Troy who stood by the door, paralyzed, his eyes never leaving her body.

She could see the regret on his face, the misery, the heartache and the yearning.

She was a little angry with him though but the misery in his blue eyes made her feel his pain.

"This may be the only chance you get," she said before sitting down and holding the girl's hand.

Although she was older than her Alison felt the closeness towards the girl, the same closeness she had with her own sister.

She heard him walk slowly towards the bed. "I meant it when I said this may be the _only_ chance you get to touch her Troy, when she wakes I don't know what she'll feel"

"I can't remember the last time I touched her" he said his voice hoarse and unclear "Actually I can, it was-"he breathed, "when she was sick and all I wanted to do was hold her until she got better"

He walked to the other side of the bed and slowly, he extended his hands and with careful shaky hands, he touched her face.

"She was so cold and…"

"Had you met Mike?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't as bad then…she was cold and I had her in my arms the whole night"

Alison looked up from the unconscious girl to the boy that stood in front of the girl he loved. "I had never been so scared…until this morning, I thought I was going to lose her"

"I thought that to"

"Now I realize I have"

"What do you mean?"

"When I looked at her in the bathroom…before I even touched her, I saw fear in her eyes" Troy looked up to Alison, his eyes blood red "she was afraid of me"

"Troy" she knew what she about to say would hurt him but she had to say it "what did you expect, you've never helped her when she's continuously asked for your help"

"You know I had no choice"

"I had no choice either and yet I helped her, I know Mike will punish me for it but at that moment, I didn't care, honestly for the first time I didn't care what Mike would do to me"

"I've lost her, I know that but, I don't-"he shrugged, tears running his face "I don't know how to live without her"

"Troy, I'm no saint but I made my choice when I decided to run away from home because I wanted the drugs more and this morning you did too"

"ALISON! HERE NOW" hearing Mike's angry voice she turned and looked down when she realized it was time. Troy looked up from his sorrow and managed a concerned look for the girl.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine" she said and walked out of the door.

Wiping his tears Troy walked towards the other side of the bed and sat where Alison had previously occupied.

He could not hold her hand, he did not deserve to hold her hand, and she was no longer his.

Nevertheless, he did, he held her hand and he felt, like himself again, the person who sat in the living room watching a movie he had no interest on but only agreed because she wanted to.

He remembered the person who woke up in the middle of the night because his girlfriend was running a fever or the person who drove in a stormy night to go and buy wood because the power was out and she was afraid of the dark.

He remembered that man, and in that moment, he found himself thinking about Cocaine.

His throat grew dry and he missed the ecstasy and sensation it brought him.

"God,-"he bent his head on the bed "I doubt you can still hear me but, you know I have never asked anything from you, but I need your help. I need you to help me get rid of these feelings. I need you to help me un-love this girl, because I love her, so much, and I cannot be the man she wants me to be. So…help me be like Mike"

* * *

"What happened to your face?" Gabriella asked trying to sit up hours later.

"Don't try to move"

"What happened?"

"Mike"

"It was because of me wasn't it?"

"He was pissed off I helped you"

"I'm sorry"

"Don't worry about it"

Gabriella moaned and Alison stood and stroked her arms "It's the medicine, just try to relax"

Gabriella lay back on the bed, her body too tired to protest. Her body never caught a break; she thought and nearly wanted to laugh at the thought.

"Am I at the hospital?" she asked looking around.

"No, you're at Mike's"

_It was Mike's place._

"What were you thinking- were you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I was trying to get out of here"

"How many times do I have to tell you, there is no escaping him, the more you piss him off the more he'll grow tired and want to get rid of you"

"I'd rather die than spend another second here"

"You know Troy is nothing without you"

"I don't want to think about him"

"Gabriella, you don't mean that"

"No, he's let me down too many times, I can't be with someone who can _only_ help me when he's sober, I can't depend on him Alison, he's too far out of my reach"

"So what you just forget about him?"

Gabriella turned towards the brown curtains and her hopes of escaping faltered to another level "If I ever get out of here, I'm finishing what I started when I moved out, I'm filing for divorce"

She closed her eyes and wished the day over "I wish I had never met him"

* * *

Not knowing the time or day was becoming a habit and she knew she was getting used to her circumstances. Did she even care to leave anymore?

She tried to listen to environmental sounds for a clue of the time of day; she heard crickets in a dead quiet day. It was past midnight.  
Her head hurt.  
Readjusting her sleeping position, she saw Mike sitting on the chair in the dark room.

How long had been sitting there, she thought and fear grew in her when he stood. "You know-" he played with something in his hands "no one has ever given me so much trouble and pleasure as you have in this house"

"Don't touch me"

He laughed quietly and said, "Like you have a choice"

"I'll scream"

"You see-"he smiled "this is why I like you, you're a challenge, and I like a challenge"

"You must be a very lonely man to have to force people to be with you" she had no idea where her courage came from but she prayed it would last.

"Yes I am and that's why you're here, you see when I first saw you-"he stood next to her brushing her hair. She tried to move away but the pills willed her not "I knew you had potential, you see Alison will suffice, for a while, but I need a new maid by my side and you looked just like her"

He sat on the bed "So I thought if I befriended Troy it would get me closer to you but he-"Mike laughed "Troy always made sure I was at your place whenever you weren't, he always timed it and that just pissed me off"

"Don't touch me Mike"

Mike smiled wildly and let go of his hand "I like you so much but…" he faked a sad sigh "in order for you to be with me-"

"Who said I want to be with you?"

"Oh I know you will, once," he placed the packet on her pillow "you have taste of this I'll be your favorite person"

"What is that?"

"Heaven, try it, I swear it will take all your pain away"

"It will"

"Oh yes," he jumped from the bed and sat on the chair taking the packet and pouring a small portion on his hand "you'll forget everything; pain doesn't exist in this world"

"There's only one world," she said unsure in her own voice, trying to resist what was on his hand.

"Yes, but this world is better, trust me, you won't want anything else" he held up his hand in offering, "Trust me"

"…Okay"

Mike smiled as he saw her unsure face nod.

From Mike's room Troy closed his eyes and looked away from the camera.

It would have been better if they had never met at least then he would not know how it felt to watch the love of your life slip through your fingers and all you could do was watch. Love was only for the lucky and deserving and he would have rather bled his heart seeking love than watch her bleed her soul away because of him.

He regretted falling in love with her.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: MEET HENRY**

****_She was scared out of her mind._

_The windows rattled louder as the thunder strengthened its wings around the small house. It was days like that she wished she had never moved out of her dorm room._

_It had been a week since she moved in with Troy however, the isolation from everyone- especially her best friend- was taking her longer than expected to get used to the small house._

_She sat in the living room with blankets around her while waiting for Troy to return from the shop. _

_He assured her he would be fine and would return to her soon with the bought candles but as the color of the thunder illuminated the dark room, she wished she had never let him leave her side. _

_She pulled his jersey to her fingers and covered her mouth with it._

_He said he would be back- he promised he would return._

_The door bursted open and Troy walked in with plastics in his hands and a huge smile plastered on his face. He held the bags in the air and said, "I'm home!"_

_"What took you so long?" she jumped up to him taking the bags from his hands._

_"I went to the store," he said innocently_

_"The store's five minutes away Troy; you were gone for an hour?"_

_"I drove to the all-night DVD store and rented your favorite movies, I thought maybe they would calm you down"_

_"The rental store is kilometers away Troy"_

_"I know"_

_"You drove in this storm?"_

_"I thought they would calm you down"_

_Seeing his boyish grin lessen as he saw her maddened expression, she could not help but smile._

_"I'm sorry I worried you"_

_Realizing the extents he went for her- risking his life for her- she was overcome by the love she felt for the young boy who stood in front of her and jumping to her boyfriend's arms, she kissed him with muffled words "I love you so much"_

_They never did watch the DVD's they gladly reminisced in the midst of their lovemaking that night._

* * *

__When the sun illuminated her frame in the chair by the window, the rays lit the picture in her frail and weak hands.

Maria's tired eyes focused on the picture in her hands, the baby she had watched grow, the baby she had held in her arms, _how could she be gone? _The woman thought, not believing when she heard the news two months,_ why would someone want to harm her._

Maria held the picture close to her chest, her hands clutching the frame close to her.

When a sob fell down her face and her breathing harden, she felt a gentle touch caress her shoulders and the emotions became overcame her once again.

_Did he not know comfort only made her feel worse?_

"What is she's cold, Henry"

"Maria, don't do this to yourself"

"What if she's alone, what if she's hurt?"

"I'm sure she's not"

Throwing the blanket he previously draped around her shoulders- she stood and walked a feet away from him, not being able to stand his comfort.

"How can you be so sure?"

Walking closer to her he held his arms "Because they have no reason to harm her, listen-" he held her arms "the police are still looking for her, they have not given up, and neither should you"

"She's my little baby, she needs me, and I can't help her"

"Detective Cark is working day and night to find these crooks and when he does find them they will face jail time for a long time"

Exasperated, she sighed and looked at the picture once again "I miss her so much"

"Honey, we will find her, I promise"

* * *

"You know, she's right down the hall"

Turning around from his seat Alison leaned by the door with her arms folded. "Just a few feet away from you" she whispered walking in the room that Troy could never leave, partly because he wanted to watch Gabriella in the camera or maybe because he did not want to run into her in the hallway.

Whatever reason he did not know if he could stand it if he saw her eyes, the eyes he watched cry on a pillow from the camera.

Alison moved a chair and situated it next him, watching the girl he could not pull his eyes from sit and stare at a cloudy day from the camera.

They were two cameras in the room, one focused in the wide lens of Gabriella's room; the second Troy zoomed in to her face watching her dry tears freshen with each day that passed. Alison turned from the camera to Troy to her hands and it nearly broke her heart knowing that Troy was purposely distancing himself from a girl he desperately wanted to hold.

She tried to find fitting words that could possibly comfort him and somehow whenever she opened her mouth the words would not leave her. _What could she say?_

"Maybe you should give her your jacket," she said and he turned in confusion, facing her.

"What" his voice sounded dry and motionless.

"It's cold out and-"she shrugged "maybe you should give her your jacket"

"I don't understand"

"Give her _your _jacket, maybe it will remind her of warmer days"

"I'm the last person she wants to see" he turned to face the camera.

"Maybe, at least she'll know you're here"

"Here to watch her die?"

"Troy, go, before Mike comes back from his father's"

Biting his lip he looked down and with a hint of desperation in his voice, he asked, "What do I say?"

"She's your _wife_ Troy, be her husband"

Not knowing what to do, he stood and pulled the chair back, took off his jacket and ventured out the door.

Alison watched in the camera and knew she sent him for a major blow, she knew Gabriella would push him away, she counted on it.

Troy was falling in love with her even more and she had to stop it.

He watched his footsteps with too much interest when he walked in the room.

He walked further in and thought about leaving the jacket on the bed but he saw her lift her hand and wipe her face. _What could he do?_

"Baby"

"Don't"

_At least she was talking to him, _"Baby"

"Please don't"

"Tell me what to do? Tell me what to do and I'll do it, anything you want"

Turning to face him for the first time in two months she looked him straight in the eye, "I want to go home"

He sighed and put his hands in his pockets, "I can't do that"

Shaking her head she turned back towards the window "Please go"

"I –"he walked closer "I love you"

Gabriella faced him "Do you even know what that word means anymore"

"Gab-"

"You know" she stood "I've spent these two months trying to forget, thinking maybe these drugs will help me, help me forget everything, but I can't, I can't forget about the fact that my husband-" she pointed weakly, "the love of my life, sold me to the devil, sold me without thinking twice"

"Gabriella, I never sold you to him"

"YOU DID TROY, you did, the day you watched him rape me, I'll never forget that"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled knowing his words were miserable.

"I really hate you"

"I hate me too"

"NO I HATE YOU!" she ran to the lamp on the bedside table and threw it his way, he ducked and it fell just outside the door. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

"Baby"

"I wish I'd never met you" exasperated, she threw herself on the bed and covered her face with her hands.

_How could he not see how hurt she was? _

"I don't feel like talking anymore," she sobbed quietly not looking his way.

"FUCK" he cursed and banged her door hardly and before he knew he it, he grabbed the pieces of the lamp on the floor, stormed towards her with the glass, and pointed it her way. Since she was facing a direction away from his view, she could not see what he was doing.

He pointed it down towards her body and luckily, she turned and saw the point of the glass facing her.

"Troy" she sat up and moved away from his menacing face, towards the headboard.

"Troy, what are you doing?"

He moved closer to her face and his anger boiled, he thought about Mike, the drugs, her threatening to leave him, his need for the drug, his hunger for it.

"Troy" she held on to her sheets when his blue eyes turned dark and unrecognizable.

He clenched his teeth and blood ran down his hands down to the white sheets.

_I HATE YOU!_

_I HATE YOU!_

_I HATE YOU_!

Her words replayed over and over in his head and seeing the frightened look in her eyes only seemed to light his boiling anger.

"Troy, you're scaring me"

_I HATE YOU!_

He pushed his hand forward towards her face but Alison held his strong grasp in her hands.

"Troy" she breathed, trying to hold his strong hands "stop" she emphasized the word, trying to bring him back to life.

Meeting her eyes he let go of his forceful hand and let Alison guide his hands to his sides"

"You don't want to do this," she said slowly and convincingly

Dropping the glass, he wiped the blood spilling from his hands and looked around, his eyes still dark. "Give me the shots," he demanded his tone daring not be argued with.

"Okay" Alison searched in her pockets and he grabbed the packet when she pulled it out and with no glance back, he stormed out of the room and heard bang the front door.

"Are you okay?" Alison sat down next to the girl once they could no longer hear Troy outside.

Alison took hold of her shaking hands "Gabriella, look at me"

Gabriella turned to the woman in front of her and heard her ask the words "Are you okay" but the shook in her eyes could not comprehend what had just happened.

"Honey, breathe"

Shaking her head vigorously Gabriella fearfully held the woman's hand "Alison" she panicked, her words broken into unclear syllables "Alison"

"Try to speak, honey"

"Alison"

"What is it?"

"He would've killed me"

"No honey, it was the drugs not him"

"You didn't see the look in his eyes" her voice strengthened, "if you had not walked in when you did, he would've killed me"

Alison held the shaking girl in her embrace and quietly wondered if sending Troy out to speak to her- out of her own anger- was possibly the worst mistake she could have made.

* * *

"Maria's daughter's missing" Henry sat crossed legged and fingers twisted inspecting his son's response, fully knowing whenever Mike acted coolly about something; he was usually the one to blame.

"Michael, I'm talking to you"

Annoyed, he put the Playboy magazine on the desk and slouched on the couch "Yeah, so"

"What do you know about it?"

"The same thing the papers do"

"Cut the bullshit Michael, for once in your life be honest with me"

He sighed and stood from the couch, walking to the kitchen with his father now following closely behind "What does it matter if I have her, she's nothing" he shrugged searching the refrigerator "You got any ham?" Mike asked taking out items out of the fridge.

"What does it matter?" he repeated the words as if not understanding.

"Yeah, I do this all the time, why do you care?"

"I care because she is my fiancée's daughter"

"So"

"Were you born an idiot, if you get caught people will know you're my son and that that 'special medicine', was manufactured by my pharmacy, thus jail"

"Dad, they're like a hundred pharmacies in this country"

"IT WAS MY INVENTION STUPID, I made that stupid thing to keep you off my back remember."

"Oh right, you're in shit, then" he laughed, buttering his bread.

"I can't believe I ever made that thing" Henry put his hands on his forehead, pacing back to the living room.

"Don't' worry Pops" Mike said, sitting on the counter with the plate in front of him "We've got her in a secure location, everything's cool"

Looking up he asked "_We've_, what do you mean we've"

"Yeah, me, Ali and Troy"

"Troy, isn't that her boyfriend?"

Laughing Mike answered, "Well you see-"

"NO! I don't want to know" standing, Henry paced around the living room once again.

"Pops, chill, no one will find out"

"Where is she?"

"In my house"

"Has anyone seen her?"

"No" he thought "wait…no the Doc saw her"

"Did you overdose her" he sighed

"No" Mike said matter-of-fact "she hurt herself"

Shaking his head in thought, he said, "No, I don't like this, you have to move her"

"Move her where"

"I- don't –care" he enunciated each word "No one can ever find out about this, or else I'll lose my job and…Maria"

"Arrg!" Mike threw his bread on the plate with a nauseous expression "I'm surrounded by lovesick puppies"

* * *

"…Please, God, help me find her, I can't do this on my own- I need your help, Amen"

Henry stood by the door watching her pray. No matter how much he loved her, she would never forgive him if she found out that his son held her only daughter captive, she would never forgive him.

He had to make sure she never found out.

"Hi, I didn't see you standing there" she stood from her kneel and closing the bible, she dipped her hand in the holy water.

"I didn't want to disturb"

"Where were you all afternoon?"

"Ah, had to catch on some of my work"

"I'm sorry I'm keeping you from your work" she apologized, sitting on the bed.

"Hey, this is where I'm supposed to be, with you" he sat next to her on the bed intertwining her hands with his. "I love you" he smiled.

"I love you too" she tried to return his smile but her heart could not fathom to form one "I'm so lucky to have you in my life"

"Well you're welcome," he said boyishly. She laughed.

"There's that smile"

"I don't know Henry; maybe we should get more people involved, like TV and radio"

"Honey, the police are working very hard to find her"

"I know" she sighed. "We can't stop trying," she murmured almost to herself

Taking a shot, he said, "Maybe we should"

"What"

"I mean think about it, the longer we drag this out the more expensive it gets to get all the newspapers to print missing person's pictures in every issue"

"But earlier you agreed with me"

"I know but sweetheart, it's been three months, it's not only us that cared for her, her friends, maybe we should let her soul lay…"

"You mean give up?"

"We'll always be looking for her in our hearts, right?"

"You want me to stop searching for my daughter"

"Maybe it's time," he said crossing his fingers behind his back.

* * *

"What the fuck happened in here?"

Mike walked on the glass pieces and saw the blood on the floor and some on the bed. "I leave for two minutes and the place falls apart"

Gabriella lay asleep on Alison's lap on the bed. "Troy had a meltdown," she said coolly.

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know, he stormed out"

"All right, pack everything, I'll go find him"

"Where are we going?"

"To Troy's place"

"Why"

"Because we need a place to reside in for now"

"Wouldn't she be easily spotted there?"

"Not if we give Troy more of that special medicine," he grinned

"That's what sent him over the edge today?" she asked smiling back.

"Yeah" he laughed, "we had some this morning, and guess what"

"What"

"Daddy dearest agreed to give me more supply to make sure we keep Gabriella hidden forever"

"You have more stuff?"

"Ah-huh, it's for later, right now, pack her stuff and move before she wakes, in the meantime I'll go find this fool"

"We'll meet you at the house," she whispered to her boyfriend as he crawled out and out the door.

Having the girl lie on her lap, Alison forgot about the drugs for a split second and guilt overcame her and a quick thought of running away with her while Mike was out searching for Troy crossed her mind.

Could she ever leave the drugs though?

* * *

**So, what did y'all think?**

**I love hearing from you all so please keep reviewing and\ or tweet if you guys want to. My new twitter handle is on my profile.**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A\N:** Reading your reviews you have all been begging for a Troyella moment, I promise I will live up to it. Enjoy!

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: Chances and Sacrifices**

Alison had not seen her parents in years.

The last time she saw them they were begging her not to quit college for a 'low life' like Mike. She remembers promising them she would fine and that Mike would take care of her. Yes, he had, in his own way, at least. After years of not seeing them she told herself she would never go back to them again, they would see how much of a failure her life had turned and they would look at her with disproving eyes. She could never bare that.

So why, was she standing at their door, gathering her courage to knock on the door after she swore she would never?

It was the only way; she knew of to save Gabriella.

She made her choice, a choice she knew would bring her consequences in the end. Nevertheless, she had to save the girl, seeing her frightened and scared, not knowing what would happen to her somehow brought a feeling to Alison, a feeling she had not felt in a long time, love.

"Where are we?"

"My parents"

She whispered not believing her own words.

Her parents secluded themselves from the world, when Alison was five they moved from the urban neighborhoods and searched for a less noisy place, so when her father was walking in the woods one day he found a small meadow amongst the trees.

When she was seven her parents build themselves a small cabin, sold their house and moved there.

It was the perfect place to hide her, Mike would never think to look for her there.

"What are we doing here?" Gabriella held her small bag with clothes in, standing by the front door with Alison.

"Mike won't think to look for you here"

"You're helping me?"

"I don't know"

Alison knocked on the door twice and stood back, waiting.

Her breath agitated when she heard her Mother's words coming from inside and seconds later the door opened, revealing a grey haired woman with a dishcloth hanging off her shoulder.

"Can I-…Ali"

"Mama"

"Ali, is that you?"

"Yes" Alison dropped the bags and filled her Mother's open arms. The woman held her daughter closely, her eyes shut tight and tears running down them.

In the months Gabriella knew Alison, she had never seen her cry.

"Oh, Baby" The woman let go of her arms and held her daughter's face close to hers. Gabriella saw the woman search her daughter's face and frowned in pain in seeing the scars on her face.

"What happened to you?" the woman choked out, brushing the marks of the old scars covered by the new. "What happened?" she asked sternly.

"Mama, I'm fine"

"No, you're not fine, what happened, was it that Mike, are you two still together, where did you stay, are you okay?" she brushed Alison's arms in panic.

Alison moved away from her Mother's warm embrace and grabbed the bags from the ground; turning to Gabriella Alison remembered her mission. "I need your help"

"What, do you need money?"

"No, I need you to look after my friend here, Gabriella"

Noticing the young girl standing next to her Francis Adams inspected the girl's appearance.

She had long brown hair, big brown eyes, her clothes were dirty and torn, her small hands held on to the bag for dear life as her eyes wondered, anxiously.

"Who is she?"

"It doesn't matter Mom, I need you to look after her for me, only for a little while"

"Why"

"Mom, please, I need you to be ignorant right now, I know it's a lot to ask of you but please, don't ask me or her anymore questions, can you do this for me?"

Staring between the two females standing on her doorstep Francis knew they were in some sort of trouble, she knew they would bring it to her house, but how could she say no when someone was desperately asking for your help.

The poor girl seemed so young and so scared.

"Okay"

"Thank you"

Francis moved aside for them to go through, Alison handed Gabriella the extra bag and gestured for her to enter and she did, stopping when she noticed Alison still outside on the doorstep, not moving.

"Go in" she shooed the girl forward.

"What about you?" Francis inquired bearing the same face she did when Alison was nineteen years old with bags in her hands.

"I'm not staying," she said, moving back

"What" Francis walked out following her daughter.

"I'm not staying; I just came here to ask you to look after Gabriella"

"But-"

"Bye Mama, please look after Gabriella"

"But your father will be-"

"Tell him I love him and that, I'm sorry"

"Alison"

Alison ran down the forest not looking back, hearing her Mother's calls echo off the same cries she had when she ran off the second time.

* * *

"DAMMIT MIKE, I TOLD YOU TO MOVE HER, NOT _LOSE_ HER!" Henry yelled at his son.

"I didn't lose her, Alison called saying she ran off when they were going to Troy's place, and she's out there looking for her right now"

"You plan was to move to Troy's?"

"Yeah"

"Did I raise an idiot? What if the neighbors caught her or heard her, what then?"

"They wouldn't have"

Henry sighed and crossed his arms "You are just one problem after the other Michael"

"If you gave me the stuff a long time I would have never been here to see you in the first place, you wouldn't have known about this," he grumbled, slouching on a chair, his head laid back.

"Well now I do, you need to find this girl before the police or Maria does"

"What's with you and this old chick anyway…" he bit his nails "…she's not even hot"

"Hey, Watch It!" he warned.

"Chill Dad, just give me the meds and I'll be out of here"

"I gave you a whole month's supply last week"

"Stuff's good" Mike shrugged

Sighing, Henry walked to the pantry and opened a drawer "I'll give you twice as much, if you use it all it's your problem"

"Nah ah, I'll be back and if you don't give me more, I'll tell your precious Maria, everything" he stood "that her precious fiancée knows where her daughter is"

"If you do that, I will kill you myself"

"Yeah, right" Mike dismissed, standing behind him "Just give it to me"

"Here" Henry held two packets in his hands, enclosing them when Mike tried to take them "Find her"

"Yes Dad"

"Henry" The two men turned and saw Maria standing there, watching them.

"Honey" he handed Mike the packet discreetly when his back was to him, facing Maria "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you"

"Are you okay?"

"No, but, I didn't want to sleep alone tonight"

"Aw, honey, do you want to stay over?"

"Can I?" Her voice sounded hopeful

"Of course you can, you don't even have to ask"

"Thank you"

When he hugged her, she noticed the man leaning on the counter "Do I know you?" She asked him, remembering his face from somewhere.

"Nope" he said simply, not looking at her.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go and take a bath while I see this man out"

"No I know you, aren't you Troy's friend, yes I remember you, you always used to be at their house"

"Whatever", Mike nonchalantly replied, walking out of the pantry towards the living room.

"My daughter never liked him; she always said he made her feel uncomfortable" Maria added to Henry. "She said he always made uncomfortable comments towards her whenever he was around"

Henry heard the bitterness grow in Maria's voice, her anger escalate as she followed Mike to the living room.

"You made her afraid," Maria almost yelled directly at Mike this time.

"Honey, calm down", Henry soothed, panicking.

"No, Henry, he is a bad man, I don't know why Troy befriended you when you were cruel to his wife"

"I knew his cravings" Mike smirked, almost to himself.

"What"

"Okay, Mike you need to go, now"

"Fine"

Mike held his hands in the air, shrugging. "I'm gone"

"And don't come back" she said

"Depends on Daddy" he murmured

"What"

"He meant Henry, he meant 'Depends on Henry'" Henry corrected, urgently, turning to Mike suggestively "right, Michael"

"Sure" he smiled and, opened the door and walked out.

After a while, Maria came to her senses ad asked, "What was he doing here anyway?"

"Ah, he wanted to know if I had any news about Troy and Gabriella's whereabouts, you know, since I'm with you"

"How does he know you?"

"Ahm, he's a regular at the pharmacy, you didn't hear this from me, but I think he's addicted to the painkillers, he's always at the pharmacy, maybe, I don't know "

Maria shook her head, disgusted; turning towards the door, she had a scornful expression on her face. "I hope I never see him again"

"Me too, sweetheart, me too"

"Listen" she looked away from the door, pulling herself away from any thoughts of her daughter, "I'm going to take a bath"

"Okay, I'll get dinner ready in the meantime" he smiled

"You are too good for me, you know that"

His smile faded and his hands touched her face, her cheeks, "I love you Maria"

"I love you too, always"

She kissed him and laughed a short giggle before she let go of his hand and left the room.

In the back of his mind, he knew no matter how much he loved her, he would rather watch her painfully cry her daughter's memory away than let her find out the truth.

* * *

"I'm not going to bite, you know" Maria sat on the chair opposite her, watching the young girl fold her body inwards. "I promise"

She still said nothing, simply faced down.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen"

"Do you go to school?"

"I did"

Seeing her close herself more, Francis softened her voice, sensing the young girl's insecurities and fear. "What did you study?"

"Second year Law"

"Aren't you young to be in second year law?"

"I started school early"

"You're a bookworm, aren't you?"

She nodded.

"How did you end up in this situation?"

Gabriella looked down, sadness overcoming her "My husband"

Shocked, Francis chose to ignore the young married question that lingered in her mind knowing she has already travelled a long way to comfort the girl. "How did your husband get you involved?"

"Alison said-"

"I know, no questions" Francis saw Gabriella look at her briefly with a hint of a smile then look back down, she was relaxing, slowly. "Tell me this, where's your husband now?"

"…I don't know, he just walked out"

"Did he hurt you?" Francis heard remorse in her voice, knowing there were still some open scars in their relationship, she loved dearly.

"Not, physically, I think"

"I didn't mean physically"

In that Gabriella nodded and a tear ran down her face "Yes"

"Oh, honey" Francis moved from her seat and sat next to her, soothing her back "He'll be back"

"How do you know?" her voice was quiet and unsure.

"It's not easy to just let go of someone you loved with your whole heart, at one point you come back, whether it be for a brief moment, you always come back"

Gabriella looked up, turned towards the door and back to the woman, not voicing her thoughts.

Francis smiled, sadly "I know what you're thinking, Alison left, yes, but she came back"

"But she didn't come back"

"No, it doesn't matter that she says she came to drop you off, a part of her wanted to see her parents, her heart wanted to look back, it always does"

"So you're saying I should move forward with a last glance back?"

Francis shook her head, smiling at the girl "You're smart aren't you?" Gabriella shied away. "No, I'm not saying move forward because I don't know which way your forward is, you get to decide, but whichever way you decide, you have to do it all the way, wholeheartedly"

Gabriella stared at the woman with glossy eyes, not understanding why Alison would chose to leave someone so nice.

"Thank you"

"Baby don't thank me, I'm fixing my mistakes"

"What do you mean?"

"When Alison was a child I never really advised her about anything, anything important, like boys, I never realized I was lacking in that department until it was too late and I've had to live with that regret for years"

Francis held the girl's hands "God has given me a second chance, a chance to fix my mistake, and I am telling you when it comes to the matters of the heart, don't use your head to what the heart can fix"

"Listening to my heart has hurt me too many times Mrs. Adams, he has let me down every chance he got, and I can't do it anymore"

* * *

"HOW DO YOU FUCKING LOSE A PERSON?"

"I don't know what happened, one moment she was by my side the next she wasn't, I just..."

"YOU ARE A STUPID WHORE ALISON"

"I'm sorry"

"You're sorry? It's been two days, what if they decide to go to the cops, what if they rat us out, and then what?"

"They won't"

"And how the fuck do you know?" he crossed his arms, staring disinterested at her.

"I just know, okay"

Mike cocked his head to one side, thinking, analyzing the way she became uncomfortable when his dark eyes zeroed in on hers. He straightened his head, his face straight, still staring at her, inspecting her nervousness, her anxiety.

"What"

"You know something"

"…Like what"

"You tell me"

"I don't know anything"

"Then why are you nervous?"

"Who says I'm nervous?"

He waited for a short while, and then realization hit "You know where they are"

She shook her head vigorously, knowing her response was blown out of proportion. She could never lie to Mike; he always intimidated her with his eyes.

"No, no, no, no I have no idea where she is, no idea"

"Oh, so you know where Gabriella is"

"I just said I didn't"

"I asked you about '_them_' not her, meaning, you have some whereabouts about her location."

"No, I swear Mike I don't know where she or they are" she took a brave step forward "baby, I would never lie to you"

"Alison, tell me where she is" he harshly removed her hands from his chest "tell me now"

"Mike, I don't-"

"Don't you dare lie to me or I will beat you, you know I will," he said with a deathly expression.

She was willing to withstand his beatings, but for how long until he eventually killed her?

* * *

Gabriella loved the Adams.

They reminded her of the family life she once had when her father was still alive, the laughter on the dinner table, the Mother daughter bonding when washing the dishes.

The love.

She missed it, and the Adams reminded her just how much she actually did.

Mr. Adams- John, as he often reminded her- was the sweetest man she had ever met, he cared for his wife dearly. The minute Francis asked him to do something he jumped, after twenty-five years of marriage one would think couples-especially husbands, would grow out of that honeymoon phase of wanting to be around your partner constantly, never wanting to be anywhere else but with that one person.

They were the perfect couple, well next to her Mother and Henry; he always smiled when she was around.

The one advantage of living in isolation was that there was no electricity; no idle distractions where people sat in their own worlds, people in the woods had no other choice but communicate with each other.

It almost made her forget him, for a while anyway.

She and Francis stood in the kitchen washing the dishes while John went to fetch wood to make fire for the upcoming storm.

"So what did you do?" Gabriella asked taking the dish from her and wiping it.

"What could I do, he stood in front of all my friends, wearing a chicken suit with-"

"Why was he wearing a chicken suit?" Gabriella asked as Francis handed her another dish

"It was his summer job for Kentucky; he was hired to do promotions outside"

"Oh my gosh" she laughed lightly

"I know, embarrassing, so he stood there wearing a chicken suit in front of all my friends and got down on one knee and said" Francis held Gabriella's arm, stopping movement, "'Francis Elizabeth Cradock, I know you're fourteen but I don't care, I'm here, offering to give you my heart, please say you'll take it"

"Oh my, how old was he?"

"Eighteen, my parents were furious when I told them I had an eighteen year old boyfriend"

"I bet" she smiled

"Gabriella, you have no idea how crazy I was about that eighteen year old boy"

"I can imagine" Gabriella remembered her own relationship with a sixteen year old boy.

"Oh honey" Francis sadly soothed her arm "It'll be fine, you'll see"

"Yeah, I hope so"

The door opened and in came John, with a red jacket buttoned all the way to his nose. "Shoo, it's freezing out there"

"I told you to wear your long boots"

"What difference does it make if I wear my long boots, I'll still be cold"

"How would you know if you wore your long boots?" Francis murmured to a John who was busy taking his jacket off.

Gabriella laughed at the woman.

"Gabriella" he called hanging the jacket on the back of the door.

"Yes"

"Look who I found lingering around outside"

"Who" she wiped her hands on the dishcloth and turned her full attention to him with amusement, knowing his poor attempts at being humorous. "Who is it, John" Francis asked as well, also now interested.

"He claims to be your husband"

After that Troy walked in with his hands in his pockets, it took him seconds to pucker the courage to look at her.

She could not believe it, her stomach turned seeing him wearing his worn out blue shirt and looking at her with his clear deep ocean blue eyes.

"Baby" he said, his voice tired and worn

* * *

Please share your views, I love reading them.

Thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

**A\N: WARNING: Contains Frightening Imagery. ENJOY!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Contact

_She remembered the first she felt close to him, closer than any human could be with another._

_She would never forget the way he touched her, his soft caresses and lingering kisses down her body. _

_He had been gentle and caring, his love evident in the way he touched her, the way her name left his lips and echoed in her heart._

_It had been the first time she had been with anyone on that deep of a level. If her Mother knew then that when she left the door that night she would lose her virginity._

_Neither did she actually. They had never planned it, it had just happened; his parents were out on dinner with friends._

_The house was empty and when he lit the candles in his room, he never planned to lay her on his bed and make love to her._

_With dinner discarded, the candles lit the dark room and the soft rain played soft music in her heart._

_She remembered him asking if she were positive of what she wanted to do._

_Frankly, she was afraid, terrified, but she knew if she told him her fears he would not touch._

_"I'm sure" she whispered, her voice inaudible only to the ears that that lay on her shoulders. _

_"Make love to me Troy" she said to him, and felt him leave her neck and turn to her, his eyes deep and oceanic in the dark silhouetted night._

_"I love you," he said, his hands touching her lips, his eyes never leaving hers. "Do you know that?"_

_"Yes" she breathed and saw him bend to her, stopping an inch to her lips, she could feel his breath run down her._

_When he asked her one last time that night, in answer, she filled the space between them and left her fears leave her body._

_How could one person love someone else so much?_

* * *

As soon as she saw him standing by the door she ran off to the kitchen as fast as she could.

The time was nine-fifteen and she sat in the kitchen biting her nails impatiently.

She fidgeted in the chair hearing the voices from the living room; it was mostly Francis and John's words that she heard.

She barely heard his.

Seeing him standing by the door with his deep oceanic eyes, she was reminded by the history of him, the history within her heart and her body- what he and Mike did to her.

She sat and waited praying no one would call her, she heard John telling Francis that the boy was Gabriella's husband, and knowing Francis, she hoped the woman would not call her in to confirm.

"Gabriella"

"No" she whispered, shaking her head within her hands, silently begging the woman. She could not look at his eyes again. Hearing his voice was enough, enough to bring her back to the way she felt for him and her fears towards him simultaneously.

"Gabriella", the woman called again.

"Gabriella, get in here, now" she called, urgently.

Taking a breath, she stood pulled herself from the chair and slowly dragged her feet prolonging the moment 'till she would see his face again.

"Gabriella, Oh darling" Francis called not seeing the girl standing just behind the open kitchen door.

"Yes" her voice sounded as strong as an injured child did, she held on to the door, standing as far as she could.

"Come closer"

She walked just inside, still standing against the door holding the doorknob.

"Do you know this boy?" Francis asked

Francis sat next to him, her hand on his lap and her other on his shoulder. John sat on the next to them not understanding his wife's question as he distinctly remembers telling her who he was.

"Yes"

"Who is he?"

Troy looked up from his reverie, staring at her with his blue eyes, the ones that reminded her of summer days and turmoil winters. "He's-"she breathed, "He's my husband"

"Are you positive this is him?"

Gabriella looked away from him and focused on her hands, wishing she could go back to her safety. "Yes"

John stood clapping his hands once, relieved that the conflict solved and with his deep and bubbly tone he patted Troy's back, "Okay then, let's get you cleaned up and in fresh clothes" he did not wait for Troy to stand as he assumed he would be behind him. Ultimately, he did and walking towards the door Gabriella moved inward and to the right, giving him too much space to pass.

When he stood next to her, he wanted to touch her but she looked away as soon she saw his hand lift.

Francis watched the small scenery in front of her.

"Baby" he almost choked and she turned further away, closing her eyes.

Troy dropped his hand and left the room.

Gabriella breathed deeply and turned down- enfolding her small frame. Francis stood from the chair and cautiously walked to the girl, knowing she was treading on quicksand when it came to discovering the situation.

"Gabriella"

"He can't stay here, Francis"

Drawn back Francis questioned, "Why not"

"Because…" she fiddled with her hands and Francis bent her head to Gabriella's, knowing she had to be careful, "Because what?"

"Because I can't be near him" she turned to the woman with lost eyes "I can't be"

"He's your husband, isn't he?"

"Yes, but I can't be near him Francis" looking away in thought, she mumbled to herself, saying, "I have to go away"

Abruptly taking her hand Francis pulled her from her thoughts "No you can't do that, I'm supposed to be looking after you, remember?"

"Francis" she held both of the woman's hands, emphasizing her urgent words "I can't be near him"

"Why not, what did he do?"

"He- , he could hurt me," she confessed, moving from where she stood to the middle of the room. Confused, Francis walked closer to her and stood behind her, "Hurt you how?"

Francis grew more conscious of the seriousness of the situation, realizing it was deeper than she thought, she still did not understand though how someone as gentle and innocent as Gabriella would befriend a person as free and wild as her daughter.

Though she loved her daughter unconditionally, she did not see how the two would have anything in common; Alison had always been carefree as a child, unguarded and experimental, that she knew of her daughter.

However, in the few days, she knew Gabriella, she was nothing like her daughter, and she was guarded, insecure and self-conscious.

The two were like oil and water.

Something must have shoved them together, what exactly, she did not know, but she was intending to find out, no matter what she promised her daughter, Gabriella was too scared of her husband.

What reason would she have to be?

"Does he hit you?"

Just when Gabriella was about to answer she stopped.

She could see the curiosity in Francis's eyes, she was more aware than her husband was. Gabriella wanted to tell the woman everything but she knew if the woman knew what sort of things her daughter was involved and what danger she was in now, she run faster than the wind to the police station.

Mike would kill Alison. Gabriella could not do that to Alison; the woman helped her already by moving her somewhere else.

If she could not tell Francis about Mike then she could not tell her about Troy either. "Damn"

"What is it, tell me"

"Francis, Troy can't stay here, he has to go"

"But he's your husband, how can you say that?"

"You don't understand the things he's-"

"The things he's what? Tell me"

Moving away from the woman in frustration, Gabriella held up her hands in exasperation, "I can't tell you"

"Gabriella," the woman's voice turned serious "is my daughter in danger?"

"…No"

"Are you sure?"

"…Yes, I'm sure"

"Okay, well, there is no extra room so he'll have to share a bed with you"

"NO HE CAN'T"

"Why not, I'm sure you have shared a bed before"

"Francis, please help me" she begged, "I told you before, how much he's hurt me, and I can't do it anymore, I can't"

"Won't you try one last time, I mean he's here, in front of you, this is your chance to reconnect and find-"

"No, I told myself if I ever get out of this I'd leave him, and I meant it"

Gabriella said then left the room.

_Get out of what? _Francis thought hearing her husband's laughter coming from the bedroom.

* * *

"Mike, stop, I'm tired" she cried under his tough body on top of hers, his frame locking her in.

"Tell me where they are" he said grunting, breathless, sweat running down his face.

"I told you I don't know"

"And I told you I'm not stopping until you do" he said shoving himself in her again.

"Mike, please"

She did not want to know how long he was on her forcing himself, though she was sure, it must have been hours. However, she could not understand it, it was not the first time he raped her for long periods, this time though, it hurt, and he made sure that it did.

He grunted as he held on to the headboard for more support as he shoved himself in her harder and faster.

"AH!"

"Tell me"

"I DON'T KNOW!" she cried hearing the bed squeak when he held on to the headboard tighter and pushed her legs further apart when she tried pushing him out. Crying she held on to the bed sheets and prayed it would stop soon but every time she sent a prayer, his malicious grew another tail and his power strengthened more than before.

"MIKE IT HURTS"

"You love this you stinking whore, you're enjoying this aren't you," he moaned, parting her legs further apart and grunting harder as he heard her cries and the bed moving back and forth.

She was so exhausted, she wanted to tell to make him stop, she wanted to tell him, but remembering the girl's scared face as Mike closed the door in front of her once, Alison could not help but feel responsible for her safety.  
"AHH!" she could feel her insides tear at the pain, how he could be so harsh to her she could not understand.

How many times had he professed his love for her?

"MIKE PLEASE!"

* * *

The following morning when Gabriella past by the living room to the kitchen she noticed Troy sleeping on the couch with the radio playing next to him. She remembered once in their futile arguments as a young couple he would sleep in the living room with the television on.

He said it calmed him at night, no matter how he was feeling.

He slept shirtless wearing only black shorts, which she assumed; he must have borrowed from John. She could not remember the last time she touched him, or he touched her, in any way.

"A hunk isn't he?"

"What" only then did she notice Francis sitting in one of the chairs holding a mug in her hands. Her cheeks reddened when Francis smiled at her as she walked in the kitchen.

"I said he's a hunk" she smiled in her mug

Pouring water in a glass Gabriella shook her head refocusing her thoughts "I wouldn't know"

Smirking, Francis stood from her seat and laid the mug and her plate on the rack "Believe me honey, you know it more than I do"

"Breakfast is in the microwave," she said knowing that her words planted the seeds to her plan. She would get the two back together, if it meant having them stuck together in whatever trouble they were in, she would do it, no matter how long it took.

Francis left the girl dumbfounded and embarrassed with the glass of water held mid-air.

* * *

That afternoon the sun was blazing hot.

John and Troy were out in the front yard cutting the wood John brought last night into smaller pieces for a fire while Francis sat in the shade with a basin in front of her washing the week's clothes as well as Troy's shirt and jeans.

Gabriella sat in her room reading a book about rights she found amongst the dusty books in a box on top of Francis's bedroom cupboard. It was ironic she knew but she missed it, the studying, the tests, her friends. Reading was the closest thing she had to school.

She wondered if the school would take her back, what if she spent an entire year in hiding, would they make her repeat her second year, she thought.

Turning the page, she heard Francis' voice from outside, "Gabriella" she called.

_Oh no_, she thought, Troy was outside as well.

She knew she was acting ridiculous- as Taylor would say- but seeing a man who almost harmed scared her, regardless whether that man was her husband.

Closing the book Gabriella straightened her dress- a gift from Francis, it was old fashioned but she loved it nonetheless- and slipped in the black flip-flops John gave her.

Noting the things the Adams have given and done for her in the few days they have known each other, they were the most genuine people she ever met, except her Mother.

Walking to the living room, she stared out the window and saw John and Troy cutting wood. Why was it that the two men could not wear shirts, she tried to once again, refocus her thought from the boy outside and opening the old door Francis smiled when she saw her and gestured towards the rest of the bench.

"Come sit down"

"Ah, I was reading"

"You can read later come I need your help to rinse all these clothes before noon"

"Francis, he's here"

Gabriella turned to Troy and saw him looking back at her, John calling his name to get him back to work. She almost wanted to smile when she that he stopped everything completely when she walked out.

"Yes and so is John, you don't see me running like a rat every time he's near me"

Cocking her head Gabriella wanted to laugh at the woman "It's different"

"Everything is _different_ with teenagers"

Sighing, Gabriella let go of the door handle and decided to vacate on the ground next to the bucket of clean water. "Francis"

"Sweetheart"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Honey, you know I'm an open book," Francis said handing her a shirt to rinse.

"Have you and John thought about having another child" the woman turned and for the first time Gabriella felt like she overstepped her place "I mean I know it's late now but had you ever thought about it?" her voice faded in the woman's curious eyes.

"A second child, huh"

"Yeah"

Francis looked up, as if processing the question. Gabriella followed her eyes and they landed on John, she stared at him as he instructed Troy to straighten his aim.

"You know…" she smiled faintly, her eyes deep in her husbands watch, "John always wanted a son" she laughed "when we started talking about children he would always make little remarks, though he told me he didn't what gender the was, I could tell he hoped it was a little boy"

Gabriella stared out at him, no wonder he was so willing to take Troy in last night, he was the son he had never, and even now watching the two, John walked towards Troy and showed him how to make a perfect aim for the perfect cut wood.

Francis carried, "When the doctor came out with a pink blanket I thought he would be disappointed but" her eyes watered, "the look he had on his face, I knew he loved her, he took her everywhere, and I, well, I was too busy making sure the house looked perfect instead of taking care of her"

Francis put back the piece of clothing and turned to Gabriella, "When Alison left us John blamed himself for years, thinking it was his fault but I knew it was mine"

"Francis don't say that"

"It's true, John fulfilled all his duties as a father, he worked, he took her to every live match, everything, it was my job to teach her about girls, boys and…I didn't, I thought I had enough time"

"I'm sorry"

She shook her head and continued with the clothing "The only thing that kept us sane all these years is that someday, our baby would return to us, safe and home, where she belongs"

"Yeah" Gabriella looked down knowing that there was a huge chance that Alison would return to them, and all because of her.

What would John and Francis do if they knew that by protecting her they were killing their daughter in the process?

They would hate her.

Rinsing the jean Francis handed in light conversations later she prayed that God would spare Alison's life for her parents' sake.

Even if it meant sacrificing her own life, Maria could always have another child, John and Francis could never.

* * *

Francis could not stand the silence between the two, they were married and obviously in love, why could they not put their differences aside for the sake of love was beyond her.

Gabriella would not stay in the same room as him whilst Troy could not do anything besides stare at her whenever she walked in- most of the time behind Francis.

Francis was growing sick of the tension between them so, in her own devious ways she devised a plan.

"John, I need your help with moving something"

"Sure" he jumped.

"I'll help you" Gabriella jumped up from her seat and as soon as she stood Francis pushed her down, aggravated with the young girl. "You sit down" she pointed her finger between them "if either of you move from this living room I will personally cut off my husband's balls. Do you want that?"

They shook their heads.

"Good"

With one last glare Francis walked out with John heard saying, "The balls part was random" his voice faded in the cabin.

Troy looked down at his hands while Gabriella fiddled with her dress.

No words were spoken between them but the awkwardness of the silence. Troy wanted to speak but Gabriella looked away in disinterest, she always did that when she did not want to talk.

"SPEAK!" Francis' voice came from the bedroom.

Troy gathered his courage and laying his arms on the table he said, "I haven't used in two days"

She did not say anything.

"I've stopped using"

Angered with tears she had no idea came from she turned from the floor and looked him square in the eye, "How many times have you said that to me?"

"I swear this time"

"Troy, your promises do not mean anything to me anymore"

"Baby"

"Don't call me that"

"What can I do to make things right, tell me"

Laughing with scorn, she shook her head, not believing, "Turn back time, if you can do that, I will forgive everything"

"…You know I can't do that"

Biting her lip, she closed her eyes "Just stop talking"

"…Is humming allowed?"

She stared at him in complete confusion her anger still radiation in her entire body but seeing him ask a dumb question like a child would always used to make her laugh.

Though she tried not to, she laughed at his innocent expression.

"I can't hear anything," John whispered from inside Gabriella's room- that being the first wall from the living room. The couple stood with ears open hanging on the wall.

"Well if you stop talking we might hear what they're saying" Francis scolded and John shrugged.

They listened.

"Are they laughing?" John asked

"Yes, they are, they're laughing" she moved away from the wall, disbelieving and shocked.

They heard more quiet laughter and light giggles.

"John, it worked, they're talking"

"It's good, right?"

Francis was so happy even her husband's ignorance could not bring her down. "Yes, it worked"

"Now we're done, right," he asked hopefully.

"No, we have to start my second plan tomorrow"

"Which is?"

"Touch" Francis answered, proudly.

"Touch" he asked, not understanding.

"Yes, contact, you know, bringing back the flame in a relationship. I need you to do something for me"

"I thought you might dear"

* * *

Troy had an immense headache the next morning.

He and John had taken shots of an old wine he had never heard of but damn good. John insisted they stay until twelve that they needed to wash the day's work off with a late night drink. Hearing the kettle boiling and Francis and John's voices conversational voices he held his head in pain.

"Oh honey what's wrong?"

"This stupid headache won't go away" he winced

"Oh honey would you like some painkillers?"

"That would be awesome" he rubbed his forehead in annoyance in the pain.

"Just go to the bathroom and open the second drawer below the sink" Francis smiled.

John did not understand, "Wait isn't Ga-"

"John, finish your coffee, Troy go on honey"

"Thanks, Miss Francis"

"Sure thing"

Waiting for him to leave the kitchen Francis threw the dishcloth at her husband, irritated. "You fool"

"Fran, I heard the shower turn off a minute ago"

"Exactly, what did you think I meant when I said Contact last night?"

"Aren't you being a tad extreme, I mean this is private stuff, like lady parts private stuff?"

"It's not like he hasn't seen it before" she shrugged going back to washing the dishes.

Touching his forehead in pain Troy turned the doorknob and did not hear the words "Occupied" leave Gabriella's mouth, he opened the door and dropping his hand, he saw her standing with one foot in and one foot out in the shower bath with a towel in her hand, completely naked.

She had not seen him standing there yet when he stood by the door with his mouth open, speechless. When she turned, he came to his senses and realized he was still standing there and Gabriella's shocked expression forced him to look away.

She covered herself with a towel before turning around, embarrassed and surprised.

"TROY!"

He closed the door quickly and cussed at his stupidity. "I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what to say his voice sounded awkward and pitchy "my bad".

* * *

"Okay, we're all adults here and I know we're all familiar with the word sex"

Francis had situated two chairs in Gabriella's bedroom, one facing the other, forcing them to have to look at each other.

Gabriella sat in her chair with only towel on- Francis had not given her time to get dressed, cross-armed and angry while Troy at in his, with amusement in the back of his mind, daring not to show it.

"Francis this unnecessary" Gabriella complained feeling exposed. There was not even a desk this time.

"How many times have I told you to keep quiet?"

"Four"

"Now do it"

"Yes ma'am"

"Right," she straightened the hem of her shirt "we're all familiar with the word sex right?"

"Yes" Troy answered, staring right at Gabriella.

"Gabriella" Francis asked when she did not answer.

"Yes" she mumbled, embarrassed

"You two are married right?"

"Yes" first Troy then Gabriella answered.

"And you have done it, with each other?"

"Yes" Troy wanted to smile but knew it would only make Gabriella more uncomfortable so he opted for a straight face.

Gabriella muttered inaudibly, "Yes"

"So what's the problem?" Francis stood in front of them turning from one to the other, "Mhm, what, tell me"

"…We haven't…" Gabriella started but felt her cheeks flare at the thought and image of Mike touching her came to her mind.

"Haven't what"

"We haven't done it in a long time" Troy completed, earning a glare from Gabriella, "What, it's true"

More images of Mike came to her mind, "What about you watching me?"

"I had no choice"

"No you had a choice, you made yours when you chose to let that scumbag tou-"seeing Francis listening to her ear to ear she stopped, taking a breath.

Francis knew something was going on between them, a deeper situation that resulted in Gabriella's animosity towards her husband. Deciding to pretend as if she had not caught it, Francis exhaled a tired breath

"Look, you two, I don't know what the problem is, there obviously is because it's driving a wedge between you two. However, you are in my house now and whatever problems you have I do not care, because what you two have is special, I heard last night there obviously still something left and I am telling you you will grab with both hands. Understand?"

"Francis, it's not that simple, I can't just let it go like that"

"I DON'T CARE; I lost my daughter because I thought I was helping her but instead I was losing her, I am going to let that happen with you two"

"But Francis, you have no idea what he did to me" she sobbed and Troy looked down at his hands, feeling his amused attitude vanished and memories of watching her being tormented filled his mind.

"Honey, if you dwell on it you will lose this relationship"

Gabriella focused on the floor, shaking her head as if Francis was not understanding her. "And it would be your fault"

Gabriella looked wanting to argue but she could let the words go. Troy saw battle herself, her emotions getting the better of her.

He hated to see her cry, no matter how many times he had seen her tears.

"Do you love him?"

Troy looked down at the question knowing her answer.

Shaking her head she said, "…He's my life, of course I love him" she said not looking at him.

"Troy, do you love her?"

"Every second of everyday, I fall in love with you more Baby"

Fiddling with her hands the tears streamed down her face she avoided him and turned to Francis, her face begging, "Can we please stop"

"No, I want you to sit on his lap"

"What"

"You heard me, sit on his lap, no arguments Gabriella," she warned.

Gabriella closed her eyes, and with a pained expression, she stood from her seat and paced the few feet to his chair. She turned away when he looked up at her with his oceanic blue eyes.

"Sit" Francis ordered.

Slowly sliding down, she sat on one of his laps, praying her tears would stop falling.

"Straddle him"

Deciding to say something Troy turned from the young girl who shut her eyes tighter at the words of the woman, "Okay, Miss Francis, I don't think-"

"Troy I might be an old lady but I do have a gun and I know how use it" she warned the boy who shut his mouth at her threatening words.

"Gabriella" she reminded.

"Yes ma'am"

"I told you to straddle him, I'm sure you've it done it before you can do it again"

"Francis, please"

"Do It!"

Sighing Gabriella turned towards the boy- still not looking at him-and part her legs so that one was over. She hoped the towel was not revealing when it gaped a littled between her. Sitting astride on him, she could not remember the last time she had felt his closeness, his soft breath near her.

"Troy, lean back on the chair" Troy leaned back, moving away from her, Gabriella was relieved to have some distance from him, her relief lasted a short while 'till she head Francis say "Gabriella, move forward, your head leaning on his shoulder".

_When would this end? _Gabriella wantedto cry more as she moved herself forward towards his pelvic, she stopped when her lips were close to his and with careful maneuver, she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Francis breathed tiredly, feeling like a hard day's at work was completed and with one final task in mind she said, "Troy, hold her, as close as you can and as tight as you can"

He lifted his arms and heard her cry when she felt his arms hold her, his arms strengthen around her.

"Now, stay like that" Francis said softly this time knowing she had no need to fight this time. They had already won each other over. All that was left now was time. 

"If you let go of her Troy I will bloody hell cut off your life support, do you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am"

Nodding, and hearing the young girl's sobs as she relaxed on her husband's chest Francis stepped forward with careful consideration not to interrupt them.

As she was leaving Troy smiled and knew that, he would always be indebted to the woman for saving his life, his heart. _Thank You_, Troy mouthed to her and she smiled in acceptance and closed the door in front of her.

Gabriella leaned closer to him remembering his touch before Mike and the drugs and the fighting. She extended her hands and hugged him.

Troy smiled giddily, tears of joy falling down his own face, he thought he had lost her; he looked up and sent a silent prayer above.

"Baby, I'm sorry," he whispered as they lay in that chair for God knows how long.

"TELL ME WHERE THEY FUCKING ARE!"

"Mike, please don't, please"

It was one- thirty in the morning and he moved her to the room he had kept Gabriella in only now he killed any source of light. She was in complete darkness and she did not know how long she could take the torture.

Mike tied her arms and legs in a chair and holding a burning match in his hand. He had let the flame burn on her flesh three times, her skin threatened to pill at one while the other burns simply bled.

He pushed the flame to her waist and burned the flame against her flesh and she cried in anguishing pain, "AHHHHH! GOD NO PLEASE"

"Tell me where they are," he whispered in her ear.

"I don't know," she cried, bending her head in exhaustion and pain.

"Okay" she heard him move away from and seconds later everything grew silent, she did not like it when he went silent.

"Mike, what are you doing?"

"Sweetheart, I'm going to cut open these burns with my knife, you'll like it, it's new"

"No" her chest breathed hard.

"Yes"

"Please no"

"Oh yes"

She felt the tip of the knife stab one of her burns right in the middle, "AHHHHHHHHHHHH, MIKE STOP!" He pushed the knife slowly further.

"TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!"

"STOP I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL TELL YOU" she cried in surrender feeling immense pain when he swiftly pulled the knife out.

Tremendous amounts of blood oozed out from her waist to her lap and to the floor.

"I'll tell you," she said weakly

"That's my girl"

* * *

Sorry if it became scary at times.

Please tell me what you thought by leaving a review.

Thanks.


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